The True Issue with BookTok: Critical Thinking, Rapid Consumption, and Superficial Morality

BookTok isn’t ruining reading—we are.

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This isn’t a “BookTok bad” video or another white guy complaining about ACOTAR. It’s about what we’ve turned reading *into* online.
Somewhere between the five-star sobbing videos and the “read 150 books this year” challenges, we stopped actually sitting with the stories.

This video is me trying to figure out why.

I talk about:
– how feeling replaced thinking
– why speed reading and surface-level reviews don’t mean you understood the book
– why we copy each other’s opinions instead of forming our own
– and how reading has become a moral performance instead of a personal experience.

It’s not about blaming BookTok — it’s about taking a step back and asking if we’re still reading for ourselves anymore.

If you’ve ever finished a book and immediately opened Goodreads instead of just… thinking about it, this one’s for you.

Chapters
0:00-1:56 Intro
1:57-2:26 The Topics
2:27-7:49 The Death of Critical Thinking
7:50-13:54 Rapid Consumption Over Reflection
13:55-16:47 Nobody's Opinion is Their Own Anymore
16:48-21:48 Algorithmic Morality
21:49-22:26 Parasocial Relationships with Books
22:27-23:57 The Quality of Literature
23:58-26:01 How to Fix Booktok

🦦 About me:
I'm Dylan. I read sad books (and sometimes happy ones) and try to make sense of what it means to be a reader in the digital age. I make vlogs and video essays about literature, internet culture (i.e: booktok), and mental health through the lens of someone deeply ingrained in them.
I never shy away from bringing up tough topics and holding people (and myself) accountable, but this will always be the place for thoughtful discussion (just keep it cute).


#booktok #readingculture #booktube #videoessay #bookdiscussion