TikTokers want to 'gatekeep' books now that reading is 'cool': 'It just blows my mind'
People are noticing that reading is “trendy” now — and it’s making lifelong bookworms want to gatekeep their favorite hobby.
TikToker Mikayla Beckman shared this video expressing how she “loved reading BEFORE reading was cool.” The clip uses a distorted piano cover of the “Chrissy Wake Up” remix from Stranger Things.
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“I can’t wrap my head around the fact that reading is trending now. Like I was called a nerd and a teacher‘s pet for loving to read. Now it’s cool??” Beckman wrote in the overlay text. “The urge I have to gatekeep reading is absolutely feral.”
Members of “Booktok” expressed similar feelings in Beckman’s comment section.
“I have to fight the urge to act calm when people are telling me to read this ‘great new book‘ I read in middle school,” a TikToker wrote.
“THIS THIS THIS,” another commented. “I did not get made fun of in the 7th grade for reading the Divergent series for books to be cool now.”
However, some TikTokers did not take Beckman’s statements very well, finding her idea to “gatekeep” reading to be unreasonable.
“I know I am not seeing a video gatekeeping reading, there’s no way,” a TikTok user commented.
“Ppl really acting like doing something we learned how to do in KINDERGARTEN has apparently only been done by a select few?” another remarked.
“Babe, it’s not a trend,” one person wrote. “People are just now reading the same books, and certain books are becoming popular. IT’S READING.”
Beckman responded by clarifying that her statement of wanting to gatekeep reading was an exaggeration; after all, the caption of her video expresses her happiness for “baby readers.”
“You guys. I’m not gatekeeping reading, lol. This is a JOKE. It just blows my mind that reading is now viewed as ‘cool,'” Beckman commented. “I’m so happy for [people] getting into reading. Like read the caption, besties, don’t take everything so seriously.”
“Honestly, I think it’s great that people care about reading now,” a TikToker wrote. “It’ll help keep the bookstores open.”
“Reading is so beneficial and important, I’m glad people are finally finding their love of reading,” another commented.
The post TikTokers want to ‘gatekeep’ books now that reading is ‘cool’: ‘It just blows my mind’ appeared first on In The Know.
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