When I was in elementary school, being in a book group seemed like the pinnacle of social interaction. I loved to read and being able to meet together to discuss books was an irresistible lure. You can imagine my disappointment when I learned that most of the girls were there to discuss who the cutest boy in the fifth grade was. Still, the idea of being able to have book discussions never left my mind. 

Fast forward to the year 2021 and I am faced with the phenomenon of #Booktok for the first time. This tag on TikTok was a group of mostly women who were discussing their favorite books! They had recommendations and detailed analysis. The comments sections were filled with other women adding to the discussion and sharing different ways to read. Through this aspect of social media, I was introduced to several new books and genres.

Before I discovered this community I had found myself in a rut. I did not want to finish the series that I was reading, and I was too tired to take on non-fiction. I wanted something new that allowed me to get mental stimulation without emotional exhaustion. The books and genres that BookTok introduced me to meet that need. For the first time since High School, I was reading entire books in a day. I had reading goals and I was tracking them on an excel sheet. 

I have seen the idea that social media is destroying young minds too often. My experience with this aspect of social media increased my critical thinking skills and saved me from a repetitive cycle of television. Social media is providing an outlet for many different people who want to analyze and experience art in many forms and I look forward to seeing its continued impact.