I Wanna Read with Somebody: The Facilitation of Social Reading Activities on BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTube

Abstract

This research leverages Zhang et al.’s Social Reading Journey Model to better understand the social reading activities that occur within bookish communities on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Following a literature review that explored the evolution of social reading, foundational social reading activities, and current social reading platforms, qualitative interviews were held with active members of the aforementioned bookish communities. While results unearthed using thematic analysis showed that these communities primarily engage in activities categorized under Inspiration and Motivation and Social Interaction, they also revealed how the design, culture, and expectations of general social media platforms influence the prevalence of specific social reading activities and fall short of providing adequate tools for community building. Recommendations for a centralized reading platform, designed from the outset to support the categories in the Model, have been identified to act as guides for future design projects centered around social reading, with the goal of building stronger, more unified bookish communities.