For whatever reason (complete boredom with modern film discourse maybe?) I've also found myself on booktube a lot over the past six months or so. I agree with many of your conclusions, and I find the sameness of it all, much like the sameness I see in film writing or "filmtube" content, disheartening. I have found a few bright lights on booktube (for classics Benjamin McEvoy is a joy and I get my genre fix from CriminOlly who has a wonderful “Disturbing Books” playlist) but most channels are pushing stuff like "romantasy," which holds no interest for me, or talking about trendy TikTok authors and Booker Prize nominees over and over again. In this day and age, when we all have an incredible wealth of resources at our fingertips, there seems to be very little desire for exploration. People seem hellbent on following trends, fitting in and joining prevailing choruses instead of finding their own voice and following their own passions. I suppose it’s always been that way, but it feels particularly odd when there are so many avenues of exploration available. Every time I visit social media these days I’m struck by the sameness of it all. The same voices getting attention, the same films being written or talked about over and over again or the same music, books, etc. It’s become deadly dull and seems to go hand-in-hand with the prevalence of insular thinking. People are closing themselves off and limiting their reach. Maybe it’s fear? Pessimism? I don’t know but I find it increasingly strange.
I've barely dipped a toe into BookTube, but the compulsive quest for content is pretty bleak. (Also, so many "why Colleen Hoover is the worst writer ever" videos!) I started watching one channel because I thought his individual book reviews were fairly insightful, but he posts joyless "how to get through four novels in a week" videos, with references to Goodreads competitions, constantly. Have you found any exceptions for the rule?
For whatever reason (complete boredom with modern film discourse maybe?) I've also found myself on booktube a lot over the past six months or so. I agree with many of your conclusions, and I find the sameness of it all, much like the sameness I see in film writing or "filmtube" content, disheartening. I have found a few bright lights on booktube (for classics Benjamin McEvoy is a joy and I get my genre fix from CriminOlly who has a wonderful “Disturbing Books” playlist) but most channels are pushing stuff like "romantasy," which holds no interest for me, or talking about trendy TikTok authors and Booker Prize nominees over and over again. In this day and age, when we all have an incredible wealth of resources at our fingertips, there seems to be very little desire for exploration. People seem hellbent on following trends, fitting in and joining prevailing choruses instead of finding their own voice and following their own passions. I suppose it’s always been that way, but it feels particularly odd when there are so many avenues of exploration available. Every time I visit social media these days I’m struck by the sameness of it all. The same voices getting attention, the same films being written or talked about over and over again or the same music, books, etc. It’s become deadly dull and seems to go hand-in-hand with the prevalence of insular thinking. People are closing themselves off and limiting their reach. Maybe it’s fear? Pessimism? I don’t know but I find it increasingly strange.
I've barely dipped a toe into BookTube, but the compulsive quest for content is pretty bleak. (Also, so many "why Colleen Hoover is the worst writer ever" videos!) I started watching one channel because I thought his individual book reviews were fairly insightful, but he posts joyless "how to get through four novels in a week" videos, with references to Goodreads competitions, constantly. Have you found any exceptions for the rule?