Young people are the motor of today’s bookindustry. The German book market recorded a growth of 1.8% in 2024. In an industry that has been declining since the early 2000s, the head of the “Börsenverein” is even confident enough to conclude that the German bookindustry is persevering in difficult times. No matter the genre, sales are overall up and social media’s role is undeniable. [1]
When I last checked, 122 million posts had been made under the hashtag #bookstagram on Instagram alone, 68,4 million posts could be found on Tik-Tok under the hashtag #booktok. A potential booksellers have already realised, whoever enters a Thalia- store (the biggest German bookstore chain) or visits their website today, will most likely find a table under one of the hashtags above displaying the most discussed books on either social-media platform. Goodreads or similar platforms round up the digital comeback of books, as social media platforms designed to read, rate and chat about one’s reading with friends and strangers.
The internet has played a crucial role in the popularisation of reading, in a maybe unexpected way: In times of digital short-form content many longe for a calmer, more long-term form of media consumption. Reading offers a calmer alternative to story- telling in a digital world. Furthermore, it’s not just a hobby, but has also been proven to be good for us: It sharpens cognitive skills like critical thinking, broadens our general knowledge or improves empathy. [2] Reading however is not only good for cognitive progress, but is also relaxing and reduces stress, something many of us need in this fast-paced world. [3]
While sales are up, especially for genres likes fantasy or romance, reading for pleasure has not yet recovered from the steep decline in the last 20 years. And not everybody has been privileged enough to participate in its comeback. In the US minorities, people with lower income or educational level or people living in rural areas have suffered the steepest decline in reading for pleasure. A question of economic and social standing hindering peoples accesses to reading for pleasure, something that could probably be observed in Europe as well.[3] But issues of class are not the only issues that have become visible due to re-found interest in reading for pleasure.
Additionally, many of the now popular genres like romance are historically mostly consumed by women or girls, which has added a level of sexism and misogyny into the conversation. These genres are often viewed as lesser because they are more frequently consumed by women. Although sexism is still visible in the bookindustry today, women have also played a huge role in the surge of reading, since they statistically read more than men. Still, female authors earn less than their male counterparts and their books are even sold at a lower price point. While books across all genres are marketed to women, female authors are still struggling for recognition and female readers are being put down, because of the genres they read. [4]
The newfound interest in books tells a double story: A world that has found new ways to thrive and motivate especially young readers through social media and beyond that, an international book world was created through global fandoms, trends and discussions. However, behind the resurgence of reading, old structures still linger and reading as well as writing is far from inclusive or accessible for all. Access to books still depends on socioeconomic status, and gender biases continue to shape both reading habits and the recognition of authors. It will be interesting to see how the world of books will further adapt to the requirements of the digital world and if the surge in reading, especially among young people, will persevere.