Friday 17 January 2014

In response to the changing attitudes of Booktube



Booktube is my favourite little corner of the internet. Let that be known. I’ve been making videos as part of this community for two years now. I was nowhere near one of the first to do this and there have been hundreds more since me. Booktube is an ever growing, ever evolving beast. I, personally, have no idea where it will end up. The main, most populated fragment of booktube is taken up by creators, readers and followers of Young Adult fiction. 

This is not where I fit in. 

I read and then subsequently make my videos about Adult fiction, whether it be classics, genre or literary varieties. I also read a healthy slice of Children’s (or middle grade) fiction as well as some non-fiction. These are the kind of books I wish to fill my life with. I am not the only booktuber who dedicates the majority of their time to Adult Fiction. There are many of us and our numbers grow all the time. I get so excited every time I find a new booktuber who reads predominantly Adult Fiction. It’s only natural that I would want to watch people discuss books who have somewhat similar tastes to my own. 

At the moment, Booktube is a relatively safe creative space. The majority of our community (both the content creators and the viewers) are sweet, friendly, intelligent people who have the good sense to only give constructive criticism where criticism is needed. Very rarely are people out right cruel or insensitive. Mostly if someone doesn’t like something, the worst they’ll do is give a video a thumbs down and not continue to watch, which is obviously a perfectly valid and measured response. 

Other communities on Youtube are not as lucky. I often see cruel, hateful and ignorant comments running rampant on both Beauty and Vlog channels. People saying the kind of things that shock and sadden me. I’m often surprised someone could feel so viciously about someone they know very little about in the first place, let alone feel the need to maliciously voice those opinions to the virtual equivalent of that person’s face. 

As the numbers of the Booktube community grow, so do our chances of attracting the cruel and ignorant into our ranks. This can’t be helped but as long as the majority of us continue to be supportive, positive, kind people we will continue to thrive as we share our love of books and reading with each other and the internet as a whole. Don’t get discouraged, Booktube. We’re only young yet, but we are strong. Be kind to each other.

- Lesley. x

8 comments:

  1. Lesley, since I found your channel I added more books to my "to be read" list than I can count! I think the way you talk is so sweet, so kind, so loving and every time I see you posted a video, I stop and go watch it!

    I also think people that express their feeling in such a cruel way need to see the Bambi movie "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all!"

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    1. Thanks Rafa! I think everyone could learn something from the wisdom of Bambi. :)
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  2. This is such a wonderful blog post! <3

    -Liz/elizziebooks

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  3. Just found your blog and I love this post as I only recently started making Booktube videos myself and I have found everyone to be nice and welcoming instead of other communities on YouTube :)

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  4. I am a translator who is now working as a bookseller here in Barcelona in order to earn the money that will pay my master studies. To be more precise, I work in the children section and I honestly love it. I find it really funny when some young girls or people my age laugh at me for being so happy there but that is what fills me.

    I read any kind of book, any genre, but it is true that the young adult community is by far the most mediatic on YouTube. Not many children book reviews nor many adult. That is why I am addicted to your channel now that I found it. And don't worry if the number of visits doesn't increase in such a spectacular way. It is better to have a trustworthy public. I've seen in my own blog that any reviews of any child or illustrated book won't get many comments and sometimes some "I'm not interested at all about this one"s.

    It is too sad to read those bad comments almost everywhere, but life is too short to let them make us sad. It is good to hear that people are very welcoming on the Booktube since I am too shy to create my own channel.

    Wow, now I'm following you in all your blogs. I swear I am not a stalker haha


    Lila Wood

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  5. This is a wonderful blog post! I agree that we can't get complacent about Booktube being a friendly and supportive community. I also feel the same about not necessarily fitting in to the majority of Booktube which revolves around YA. (It's part of the reason I stopped making videos).

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  6. Hello my dear, I have just discovered the world of Booktube, and I find that for the most part I just feel desperately old. I don't generally read YA fiction, and I wish there were more booktubers covering adult fiction or even non fiction. Your channel is excellent! Sophia :)

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