No, the younger generation hasn't become allergic to reading, too preoccupied with video games and viral videos. While several studies warn of the decline in reading among the French and the state of the book market, another reality is emerging. At the 2025 Book Festival, the paper format is no longer the only one to dominate the shelves. While it remains the overwhelmingly dominant medium for 75% of readers, it is now accompanied by a complete ecosystem, designed to satisfy all reading habits: audiobooks, digital books, or more traditional versions, social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube now play a central role in how Gen Z discovers and consumes books.
#BookTok: the reading trend
The “BookTok” phenomenon, a community dedicated to books on TikTok, perfectly embodies this transformation of books towards social networks. With over 107 billion views on the hashtag in 2023 alone, the trend has allowed thousands of young people to reconnect with reading or discover its joys for the first time. Embodied by dedicated influencers, complete strangers, or established celebrities, the movement goes beyond simply sharing recommendations: it transforms reading into a social experience.
Users discuss plots, share their favorites, and build communities around their favorite books. According to a British study conducted by Amazon, 68% of young readers say that BookTok has opened their reading perspectives. Internationally, the phenomenon has become so powerful that it influences bookstore shelves, as well as traditional publishing houses, which draw on BookTok successes to publish their next bestsellers.
Dark romance and romantasy
Social networks don't just promote popular books; They are shaping the evolution of new genres. For several years now, dark romance and romantasy have been experiencing a meteoric rise among young people (and those not so young). These subgenres, mixing love and fantasy elements, are increasingly appealing, even though they are regularly accused of romanticizing abusive and violent relationships. A controversial phenomenon, but one that resonates with a young audience seeking thrills.
New practices
Social media has not only influenced what Gen Z reads, but also how they read. Young people are increasingly adopting practices that move away from traditional reading codes. The e-reader is becoming a preferred tool for ebooks, while audiobooks are gaining popularity, to the point of pushing major audio platforms to invest heavily in the market.
While not necessarily more eco-friendly, the use of e-readers and audiobooks has the merit of diversifying reading channels. In addition, self-publishing is also experiencing a new boom thanks to platforms like Wattpad and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. This allows emerging authors to publish their works directly and readers to discover original stories ignored by traditional publishing.
Where ebooks shine for their practicality, paper retains a prominent place in the hearts of young readers, who favor increasingly prestigious editions. A recent study reveals that 79% of Gen Z still prefer printed books for their smell, texture, and ability to offer a completely disconnected experience. The fact remains that on a daily basis, nearly 65% of young people say that audiobooks have boosted their daily consumption, by adapting them more easily to their lifestyle.
While some feared a lack of interest in literature among young people, the development of these new practices shows, on the contrary, the ability of Gen Z to adapt the codes of reading to their time, whether on paper or screen, in a classic or self-published novel.
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