Headphones, baseball cap, bomber jacket with patches, cargo pants and books - lots of books. Books in his bag, his pockets and his hands. That was the viral airport outfit of Jacob Elordi, an actor who rose to fame thanks to Euphoria and who recently played Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla.

When Elordi, 26, is asked if he likes to read, he always answers that he"reads a lot" and does not hesitate to recommend Kerouac, Sartre and Donna Tart. TikTok is full of videos talking about the books he has read and what they say about him; that he is sensitive, intellectual and curious. There's no doubt that Jacob Elordi likes to read, and, at the same time, that this reading side has led to him being publicly classed as representing a new masculinity, shedding the image of the controlling, toxic man embodied by Nate, his character in Euphoria.

Under the motto "we learn more from stories that are not our own," model Kaia Gerber, daughter of top model Cindy Crawford, created the "Library Science" book club. It started as an Instagram account in 2020 during the pandemic, and since then has become a community which aims to use reading "as a gateway to some important, albeit difficult, conversations," they explain on their website.

Elordi and Gerber are an example of many others who understand books as beacons of wisdom, a way to escape, form human connections and, now more than ever, as symbols. The influence of social networks, particularly platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, has been fundamental in this process. On those platforms, books become the protagonists of personal stories, passionate reviews and literary challenges. Reading lists are shared, ideas are discussed, and communities are formed around specific genres or authors. In this context, books are not only read; they are lived, discussed and, in many cases, idolised. They are an essential part of communities and the way we relate to each other.

The value of the internet lies in serendipity; maybe you didn't know you needed to read something new, but you go on TikTok and a video of a booktoker pops up on your screen recommending a book that you end up loving. The hyper-segmentation inherent in digital platforms allows Gen Z (and any user) to find specific niches that resonate with their particular interests. Platforms such as Goodreads, used to publicly rate and review books, and spaces such as BookTok, with billions of views on TikTok, enable close-knit communities to form around genres, authors, or specific topics.

In this ecosystem, literary influencers play a crucial role, not only by recommending readings, but also by encouraging critical discussions. Booktubers and booktokers have become authority figures when it comes to reading trends, guiding their followers to unexpected literary discoveries. The reason is simple: the authenticity that defines their discourse makes them trustworthy. If a booktoker tells me that I will like a certain book, it is similar to a friend recommending it to me. It resonates with us much more than any ad we might see on Instagram.

Once we have decided on our next reading, the way we buy it varies widely. From local bookshops to online giants such as Amazon (through referral links), the possibilities are countless. However, there is a growing trend towards supporting independent and second-hand bookshops, driven by the desire for a more personal and less commercialised shopping experience, also generally encouraged by booktubers and booktokers themselves.

The book-purchasing triad is made up of these options: Either you buy directly through the link provided by your trusted booktuber, and carefully placed in the video descriptions by content creators (see the case of Sarah, from Libros para Cambiar de Vida), you choose to physically purchase, or you decide to buy the ebook.

A fourth new purchase method is the audiobook, which has experienced a 45.7% growth in sales compared to 2022 in the Spanish-speaking market. Never before have so many books been read in so many different ways.

Consumer habits and digital life

The digitalisation of reading has transformed literature consumption habits, especially among younger generations. Gen Z, characterised by their impatience and lifestyle habits moulded by the context in which they grew up, where instant gratification is always possible, has found in the ebook an ideal solution to their demands. The ability to purchase a book and start reading it immediately, without having to wait for shipment, is the perfect answer to the desire to start reading that book that people keep talking about on TikTok. This barrier-free access not only makes shopping easier (and avoids the FOMO of not knowing what book people are talking about), but it also broadens the opportunities to explore new genres and authors with just a few clicks

Amateur author platforms, with a focus on Wattpad and, less specialised but also used for fanfics,Tumblr, have accustomed Gen Z users to immediate access to large amounts of stories at any given time. Wattpad has not only democratised access to literature, but it has also served as a launch pad for new writers, many of whom have found a loyal audience among younger readers after breaking into the publishing market with their own works.

The popularity of audiobooks among young people reflects a broader trend toward audio content, such as podcasts, which has seen exponential growth in listenership in recent years. Authenticity, in addition to the flexibility of being able to consume content while doing other things, becomes even more crucial when it comes to audiobooks, particularly those narrated by the authors themselves. Listening to a writer narrate their own work adds a personal and emotional dimension to the reading experience, allowing listening readers to feel more connected to the story and its characters, resulting in an immersive and authentic experience.

With the amalgamation of online recommendation communities, celebrities and content creators inviting you to read exciting books, and access to books and audiobooks at the click of a button, the reading experience has never been as fun, exciting and diverse as it is today.