In a society dominated by social media, streaming platforms and technology, it is fair to ask: Are books dead?  

When people have free time, they will instinctively reach for their phones and remotes instead of a novel. Somewhere along the line, reading stopped being a main source of entertainment.

Today, entertainment is at our fingertips, and people crave instant gratification. Platforms like Netflix and TikTok offer endless amounts of content. There is no imagining what characters and settings look like and no waiting to see if you enjoy the story you are consuming. On these platforms, everything is curated to your liking.

Books are different. Books require time, patience, effort, imagination, creativity and trust in the author. When reading a book, you have to wait to find out what happens and how the story unfolds. With TV shows, you can binge the entire series in a day.

Ironically, many famous movies and shows that people obsess over were books first. Movies like “The Godfather,” “Schindler’s List,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Notebook” and “Wicked” and shows such as “Heated Rivalry,” “Bridgerton,” “Sex and the City,” “You” and “Tell Me Lies” are all adaptations of physical novels. Most of the time, people do not realize they are watching a story that once lived inside a book.

I have heard countless people my age say that they hate reading. Growing up in an era where technology was always present, members of Generation Z have never known a world where boredom was cured by a good book. 

For many, reading is associated with school and work. It is not something we do for fun.

However, I have found that individuals in older generations still regularly turn to books for entertainment. Since they grew up in a time where digital technology was less present, reading is a solution for their boredom.

I personally love reading physical books, but most people my age do not share this sentiment. To me, the sensory experience of a book is everything: The smell of the paper, the sound of a page turning, the feeling of the cover in my hands, the font choice, the way the spine weakens over time.  

I particularly like to read used novels, and enjoy finding old bookmarked pages or little notes from the previous owner. It makes the story feel alive. Reading is all about connection, and these nuances make it even more special. I like thinking that many years ago, someone was in the same position as me, indulging in the same story, reading the same words and feeling the same emotions.

I see the value that a book holds, but for others, phones seem to hold all the value now. They house our entertainment, conversations, thoughts, feelings and identities. In the current world, physical books do not even compare to the convenience of digital technology.  

However, I have noticed something interesting happening. Online communities are breathing new life into books. Suddenly, reading is trendy, books sell out and people are lining up at bookstores again — all because of BookTok.  

On TikTok, a community called BookTok has become extremely popular. In BookTok, readers and authors are able to come together to talk about their love of literature. They create videos reviewing, recommending and talking about books — almost like an online book club.

Shockingly, BookTok has become very favored among Gen Z individuals. Maybe they are reading just because it is now trendy, but hey, at least they are reading.

Many people are also shifting away from reading books in print and towards e-books and audiobooks. Specific platforms have been created that allow people to listen to a book while going about their everyday lives. This digitalized version of reading makes stories more accessible than ever.  

It is incredible that people have rediscovered the beauty of reading in every evolving form. I still, however, have a soft spot for physical books. They carry history in their pages. 

While reading habits have drastically changed, it can be concluded that no, books are not dead —  they are just different.