Publish at September 13 2023 Updated September 13 2023
We have the impression that reading is being shunned by the younger generation. After all, they're far more interested in the plethora of easy-to-access online multimedia content that captivates their attention in search of interactivity. A situation that worries many, since reading is an essential skill in virtually every sphere of our lives.
Technology is the obvious culprit. Social networks are a recognized source of loitering, messaging systems constantly distract them with notifications, and broadcast platforms seem more enticing than the pages of a book. We'd be fooling ourselves if we didn't see that entertainment has taken a major digital tangent among teenagers.
However, there may be other reasons for this disenchantment. Thomas B. Reverdy, author and teacher, has denounced the French reading program as backward-looking and unrepresentative. He points out that the most "recent" authors in the 2023 baccalauréat are Jean-Luc Lagarce and Colette. No modern authors, and even fewer modern women authors, as if French literature had been in decline since the end of the 19th century. This almost reactionary approach, he believes, creates a repulsive view of novels among high-school students, who then tell themselves that they'll never touch a book again after their schooling.
What about parental responsibility? Is it right to hand over the taste for reading to schools? Many teachers and education specialists will point to the importance of the family unit in igniting the flame of the pleasure of reading. By telling stories in early childhood and seeing their parents read, children recognize the pleasure of immersing themselves in a book, comic strip, magazine or other medium, even as adults.
Our mission is to find strategies that attract young people to books. Not only by example, but also by desacralizing reading. To help with this, Daniel Pennac's reader's rights are essential, such as the right to skip pages, not to finish a book, to reread, to indulge in any kind of reading, to do it wherever we please, to read aloud or in silence.
The Learning Disabilities Institute has written an article to support parents in introducing reading or encouraging their children to read. It seems important to choose books that are neither too easy nor too difficult, so as not to discourage them. Finding themes that fascinate them will make them want to read even more.
For more restless children, create a special reading environment, such as under a tent made of sheets, on a towel in the park, or in the kitchen with a recipe to follow. For its part, the "Allôprof" student support service has developed an interactive reading game. By correctly answering reading comprehension questions, the learner wins resources that will enable him or her to grow friendly little monsters.
Recent years have seen a certain revival of interest in novels, particularly among teenagers. Book fairs and bookshops confirm that more and more young people are consuming books, both old and new. Ironically, it's thanks to social networking videos that this flame has been rekindled.
"#BookTok. This simple keyword has created a minor revolution in the world of books. On the controversial but popular social network TikTok, videos featuring the word have reached well over 100 million views. The principle is simple: an "influencer" uses the platform to talk about his or her recent reading and offer it to his or her followers. Young people who want to discuss the subject can then purchase the book or rent it from a library.
However, Chinese giant ByteDance's network is not the first to offer this type of content. There was already a Bookstagram (Instagram) and a BookTube (YouTube) where individuals shared their opinions on books. That said, TikTok's explosion in popularity has put the platform at the top of the literary recommendation list among young people. Of course, not everyone who scrolls through TikTok videos is necessarily interested in this 2.0 book club. It's a small group (for example, around 16% of Australian teenagers) but one that's very passionate about discussing literature.
A survey by the Publishers Association in Great Britain looked into this phenomenon in 2022, questioning 2,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 25. According to the responses received, 59% said that BookTok was the spark plug that ignited their passion for reading. The reasons for its success? Already by using this means of communication, discussions about literature become less dusty and more attractive. What's more, unlike at school, where some specialists rank reading material in order of importance, here everything is highlighted. Whether it's a classic like Notre-Dame-de-Paris or a children's saga like Twilight, no differentiation or stigmatization is allowed in this book club. It's all about the emotions created by those moments immersed in books, whether over 100 years old or recently published.
In the Publishers Association survey, 49% of respondents said that BookTok had inspired them to visit a bookshop and buy a book promoted in the videos of various influencers. What's more, the publishing industry is taking an increasing interest. Booksellers are setting up "BookTok" sections in their stores, looking at popular titles of the moment. Publishers and authors are also beginning to invest in these tools to promote new works to a clientele previously uninterested in books. So much so, in fact, that the world's biggest book fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair, has set up a partnership with the app for the first time in 2022.
This phenomenon shows that reading is not dead, even in this age of digitization. Clearly, it is possible to attract young people to books. All it takes is a less pedantic, more human approach to literature. With these ingredients, teenagers will want to read.
Et si l'école s'en inspirait afin de ne plus susciter un dédain mais un amour pour la lecture?
Image: Youtuber Alexis Breut in one of his book reviews
References :
AFP. "#BookTok or how TikTok is taking over literature." lexpress.mu. Last updated: October 23, 2022. https://lexpress.mu/article/414989/booktok-ou-comment-tiktok-sempare-litterature.
"Nurturing a taste for reading in students with the Grimoire game." Alloprof. Accessed September 7, 2023. https://www.alloprof.qc.ca/fr/enseignants/ressources-pour-enseigner/gout-lecture-eleves-jeu-grimoire-z0066.
Barot, Antonia. "What's #BookTok, the literary phenomenon that's taking off on TikTok?" Le Pélerin. last updated August 1, 2023. https://www.lepelerin.com/culture/litterature/quest-ce-que-booktok-le-phenomene-litteraire-qui-cartonne-sur-tiktok-7396.
"How to get teens excited about reading?" Cultura.com. Last updated: August 16, 2023. https://www.cultura.com/les-guides-d-achat/comment-donner-gout-lecture-ados.html.
"How do I get my child to want to read when they're learning to read?" Institut TA. Last updated: September 1, 2023. https://www.institutta.com/s-informer/comment-susciter-le-gout-de-lire-chez-mon-enfant-en-apprentissage-de-la-lecture.
Durocher, Robert. "Lecture et écriture: l'école ne peut pas tout faire seul, elle a besoin des parents!" Le Journal De Montréal. Last updated: August 23, 2023. https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/08/23/lecture-et-ecriture-lecole-ne-peut-pas-tout-faire-seule-elle-a-besoin-des-parents.
ETX Daily Up. "How BookTok is giving young people a taste for reading again." Ladepeche.fr. Last updated November 25, 2022. https://www.ladepeche.fr/2022/11/25/comment-booktok-redonne-le-gout-de-la-lecture-aux-jeunes-10827688.php.
Gobbe, Mathilde. "Booktok: revolution in literary communication for young people." DécodageCom. Last updated: March 16, 2023. https://decodagecom.be/booktok-revolution-litteraire-chez-les-jeunes/.
Goldszal, Clémentine. "TikTok forces publishing houses to get with the times." Le Monde.fr. Last updated: March 27, 2023. https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2023/03/27/tiktok-contraint-les-maisons-d-edition-a-se-mettre-a-la-page_6167077_4500055.html.
"Plongée dans BookTok, la communauté d'ados accro aux livres." Courrier International. Last updated: December 17, 2022. https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/courrier-ados-plongee-dans-booktok-la-communaute-d-ados-accros-aux-livres.
"What is BookTube (reasons to join)." Basmo. last updated April 7, 2023. https://basmo.app/fr/quest-ce-que-booktube/.
Reverdy, Thomas B. "" Let's return young people to reading. To the pleasure of text. To the games of writing." Le Monde.fr. Last updated: June 24, 2023. https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/06/24/rendons-les-jeunes-a-la-lecture-au-plaisir-du-texte-aux-jeux-de-l-ecriture_6179012_3232.html.
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