Not only fashion, beauty and travel. Even art and literature can be successfully shared on social media. It is no coincidence that in recent years the so-called book influencers. To describe this phenomenon, a word was born that is increasingly used by boys and which Treccani decided to include neologisms of 2023. It’s about BookTokthe word is also used as a hashtag to describe the phenomenon that brings together TikTok content dedicated to the passion for reading. The BookToker phenomenon has revolutionized and changed the way books are accessed for a generation.attracted by short, direct, engaging content, as evidenced by over 120 billion views worldwide, of which nearly 2 billion are in Italy alone.
What does buktok mean
In short, even books can go viral, a sign that “the interest of new generations in reading in technologically innovative and highly entertaining forms is still very strong,” comments Treccani, who identifies the most representative words each year. of the year. We are not dealing with simple lemmas, but with culturally meaningful terms that indicate a significant cultural transition that can affect the habits of millions of people.
A video of this kind was discovered by 20-year-old Chicago student Ayman Chaudhary, who, after discovering Song of Achilles (Song of Achilles, Marsilio), Madeleine Miller’s 2012 book about the poignant love story between Achilles and Patroclus impressed her so much that she decided to leave a review on TikTok. In the video, which is only seven seconds long, she interprets the emotions the romance has evoked in her through “dramatic moans and screams.” This TikTok suddenly goes viral and the book starts selling over 10,000 copies a week, almost nine times more than when it was first released. An unexpected success that marks the beginning of a new social content trend. Each booktoker has his own strategy to win over the audience on millions of reels.: there are those who turn the pages of a book, keeping the hit of the moment as background music, those who choose a catchy phrase that summarizes the emotions that have arisen, those who write down the most vivid incipi or the most romantic quotes. In short, everyone gives a different cut to every content, authenticity is the watchword.
It’s hard to say if BookTok will become a passing trend or if it will take root enough to supplant more traditional reviews. What is certain is that TikTok has decided to invest in culture to the point of becoming the official entertainment partner of the Turin Book Fair 2023, which will take place from May 18-22. Perhaps this is a sign that a new relationship between technology and books is possible.
Source: Elle