it's not a reader problem

on booktok/book social media, "anti-intellectualism," and how most readers online aren't actually stupid.

i’m not on social media anymore, but i do know about the constant booktok scandals about how everyone seems to care about what everyone’s reading - and yes, i do know about that one creator that shamelessly put out her opinion (shoutout maddie clark!) on the internet. do i think she’s wrong?

well… no.

do i think she put out her opinion in the correct way?

well… also, no.

i reposted her video on tiktok because i do agree with what she’s saying - there is a big death in media literacy, it is hard to take readers seriously when they post only about smut and romance but are seemingly silent when there’s attacks on authors in the industry, and it seems like no one wants to challenge themselves anymore! all of her points are valid and i understand what she’s saying. i’ve had this same conversation with my own friends and fellow readers.

but as i’ve been thinking about this discourse and doing more of my own reading that challenges my brain, i have been wondering… should we actually be caring?

let’s get one thing out of the way first - yes, we should be caring about what books are shaping the atmosphere. reading is political, and there are no excuses behind that. we should not be erasing the original meanings of works or silencing authors of color, and we should definitely be reading deeper into works of fiction to uncover their potential themes and author sensitivities. that’s just the bare minimum for when you’re reading a book.

it’s clear that maddie clark is not attacking everyone on booktok - she’s clearly going for the readers that are not as engaged in their content as others, who stick only to one genre and don’t expand their horizons, who read performatively or completely miss the point of a novel, etc., etc. and yes, we should be calling out those readers - there’s only so much that ignorance can get you, especially in this political climate and the state of the world. it would be stupid to think that anyone is exempt from politics and being involved.

but this is not the state for most readers on the internet. booktok - and all of its other subcategories like bookstagram or booktwt - is not the only outlet for readers online. hell, it’s not even the only outlet for readers in real life!

dylan joseph did an excellent podcast episode dissecting this exact issue (which i’ll link at the bottom of this post), where he extrapolates reasons behind the sudden discourse and the differing opinions on the matter. it’s insightful, but it also invites the idea of looking at things through a realistic lens.

not every reader is on the internet. not every reader reads to challenge their mind. not every reader reads for fun! there’s so much nuance to be taken from this conversation that’s important to engage in and discuss. the point that i’m trying to make, however, is the fact that, hey, not all readers who primarily read in one genre are stupid.

i’ll use my friends as an example. yesterday, we went to a bookstore and one was searching for more fiction to read. she sticks primarily to lit-fic, with novels like “atonement” and “wuthering heights” being in her rotation, but she was looking for something to balance out the mental load of these novels. i recommended that she read something akin to “fantasy reality TV,” with titles like “ACOTAR” and “fourth wing” being my examples (now, i’ve only read fourth wing, and in hindsight i do not like any part of the novel in general, but i do remember having a lot of fun reading it), and she opted to go that route instead. my friend is incredibly smart, as well - we’ve taken difficult political science and philosophy classes together, have gotten our papers published, interned in important government offices, etc. they are incredibly smart ladies, and outside of required reading for class, only stick to one genre. but that doesn’t make them stupid.

there’s nothing wrong with reading for fun. there’s nothing wrong with reading something that’s a bit trashy, either! if anything, that just invites balance. the argument for booktok readers, however, lacks this nuance and external context, making the entire argument center around the fact that booktok readers only stick to one genre because they only post about one genre.

that idea is stupid within itself.

on social media, everything is taken at face value. if someone stumbles across your account from one post about you talking about the romance novel you’re reading, they’re automatically assuming that you’re just a romance reader. however, you know you’re not, and even if you were, would that be such a bad thing?

dylan joseph goes into talking about the attack on women readers, especially because female readers have taken up the reading space and romance genre primarily. now, it seems that we’re all fighting each other rather than having meaningful conversations about what we’re reading and why we’re reading them.

here’s what i think: a good reader is able to extrapolate points from any kind of book they read, no matter how objectively bad or good the novel was. the point can be anything - an author is always trying to say something. sticking to one genre does not make you a bad reader, so long as you’re able to actually learn something or get something out of the book. it can be a philosophical idea or a good time, as long as you were able to get something out of it.

readers aren’t stupid, and many of them sure as hell aren’t contributing to the anti-intellectualism sentiment that’s growing on booktok. there are a few bad apples here and there who definitely don’t know what they’re talking about (dismissing the obviously racist themes in ACOTAR is a big no no, and i’ve seen a few readers doing that before…), but that doesn’t mean that all readers are advocating for a death to thinking critically. its not the readers doing this to our online spaces, its publishing!

the industry has taken a note on what circulates in the online sphere and began pushing that out, rushing authors to drop poorly-written novels that haven’t had enough time to brew in the author’s mind. they take those novels and shove them into the sphere of books to be read, promoting them through their tropes and easy buzzwords. the reason why its hard to find books that challenge you is because the industry will take what’s easy and sell it to you. but that’s at no fault to the reader.

yes, there is a decline in media literacy. yes, there is a growing concern when it comes to critical thinking. but that is something that many writers and readers can help fix by actually engaging in conversation instead of blindly insulting people on the internet.

if readers crave conversation, then they have to make it. a discussion doesn’t come from thin air. if you want to surround yourself with people and creators that engage in critical thought or discussion, then you have to start it as well! i’m sure that many people have fascinating thoughts on books, but they don’t know where to start the conversation!

we must talk to people more. that’s how we fix the issue of “anti-intellectualism,” not by hating on others. start talking more, and from there start thinking more.

dylan joseph’s video: