Social Media, Communities, & Networks Conference 2026: Semester 1 & SP1

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2 responses to “Sarah Keane_TikTok and youth communities on BookTok”

1. 

   Shashadang

   30/04/2026

   Hi Sarah, I really enjoyed your presentation and got an insightful understanding of the BookTok community. I really liked the video you added as a visual example, I now have a better grasp on how TikTok shapes young people’s book communities.

   I do have a few questions starting off with

   1. Since emotional reactions is a big focus on BookTok, do you think the short video format on TikTok limits the depth of real literary discussion? For example do complex stories, such as coming of age novels or multi-layered fantasy books, become reduced to quick emotional reactions or surface level opinions, rather than allowing the audience to explore and gather the book’s deeper themes?

   2. In your view, how does BookTok alter what we consider to be good taste in books? For instance, are certain genres, like young adult dystopian novels or contemporary romance, gaining more prestige because of their popularity on TikTok’s platform, while other kinds are being neglected?

   3. In what ways do you think the short, viral nature of BookTok videos might affect the long term popularity of a book? For example, do you think a novel that gets a lot of hype quickly might fade/lose its popularity just as fast? Or could these viral moments sustain a book’s reputation over time, making them become modern classics or long term favourites among readers?

   Reply
   1. 

      20252988

      02/05/2026

      Hi Shasha
      I really loved your questions, they made me think about my presentation in a slightly different way, which was great.

      For your first question, I do think TikTok’s short videos can limit deeper discussion. A lot of BookTok content focuses on quick emotional reactions, so more complex ideas in books can get simplified. But at the same time, I think discussion still happens across lots of videos and creators, so people build understanding as a community rather than in just one video.
      For your second question, I think BookTok definitely changes what we see as “good” books. Genres like romance or young adult become more popular and accepted because they’re trending on TikTok. But this also means some other books don’t get as much attention, so the platform kind of shapes what people value.
      For your third question, I think BookTok can create both short-term hype and longer-term popularity. Some books go viral quickly and then fade, but others stay popular because people keep recommending them and attaching an emotional connection to a particular book which can keep an audience hooked. So it really depends on how long the book stays active in the community.

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