I was obsessed with BookTok, but after getting a library card for the first time in years I'll never go back

• I used to love watching BookTok and visiting the "TikTok recommends" section of stores.
• But then I realized I was purchasing books based on TikTok trends rather than personal preference.

I've been a bookworm since I first learned how to read. But I didn't realize how much social media was tarnishing my reading experience until recently.

Like millions of people around the world, I turned to TikTok for entertainment during the pandemic. Soon, I discovered #BookTok, an online community where readers discuss their favorite books in any given genre and trope as well as share book challenge videos. I was already a regular watcher of BookTube (which is the same thing, but on YouTube), so I knew I would enjoy this type of content.

At first, I adored having an online reading community, and I also found one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid, on BookTok. But eventually, my reading experience became dictated by trends rather than personal preference.

I decided to make a change

I used to spend a lot of time in the "TikTok recommends" section of bookstores. And while I greatly enjoyed some of the titles I purchased, I also spent money on books that I didn't even finish reading because I disliked them so much.

Things changed when I visited York, a city in England that's known for its rich literary history, earlier this year. Ironically, I watched TikTok videos on the best independent bookstores to visit ahead of my trip.

There was no "BookTok" section in most of the shops I visited, and I loved that I didn't know anything about the books I purchased before picking them up.

I ended up getting three books, which I chose because I was intrigued by the blurbs on the back: "If Cats Disappeared From The World" by Genki Kawamura, "Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid, and "I Am, I Am, I Am" by Maggie O'Farrell.

I adored all of them, and finished all three in less than two weeks, which is fast for me.

It reminded me of when I was a child and would visit the library after school. Back then, we didn't use social media for book recommendations, and I'd simply pick my next read by browsing the shelves. I decided I wanted that experience again.

I swapped out BookTok for a library card

My experience in York inspired me to sign up for a library card at the Mitchell Library in my home city of Glasgow, Scotland. It's famous for being one of Europe's largest public libraries and is an iconic landmark, according to Visit Scotland.

So far, having a library card has reminded me of how much money I'm going to save in the long run. During one of my first visits, I spotted two books that I'd purchased and read just a couple of weeks prior.

Since getting my membership, I haven't felt inclined to return to the world of BookTok. But now I know that there's the option to read popular books, and I can easily return them if they end up not being my cup of tea. The same goes for books or authors that I've never heard of.

Now, that's not to say that I completely disapprove of BookTok. I love that it has encouraged a new generation of readers, and it's been viewed as somewhat revolutionary for the publishing industry. As Insider previously reported, BookTok has been a driving force for increased sales since mid-2020, and 825 million book copies were sold in the US in 2021 — the highest number since 2004 — according to data from NPD BookScan.

Overall, I want to encourage people to seek the benefits that come with reading beyond the trends. This experience has made me a better — and smarter — reader, and I couldn't imagine it any other way.