Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: the rise of social media stalking and the Single White Female trope According to Alina 2023-03-04 | I don't know who needs to hear this but STALKING YOUR BOYFRIEND'S EX IS BAD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!!!I wasted a ridiculous amount of time scrolling through TikToks on this Selena Gomez - Justin Bieber - Hailey Bieber "drama" thinking I was wasting my time (which I was), but I also started thinking about how social media "stalking" affects our mental health. youtube.com/watch?v=uj3k_LqFxdw youtube.com/watch?v=xe1DX7iFG4M&t=54s#selenagomez #haileybieber #commentary
Booktok and underconsumption According to Alina 2024-09-20 | Sign up to Milanote for free with no time-limit: milanote.com/accordingtoalinaUnderconsumption core is the latest silly TikTok trend, so of course I had to make a 25 minute video about it!This video might make more sense if you first watch my previous video on booktok and overconsumption, because there are things I don't get into here so as not to repeat myself.Also, please don't take this as a personal dig. If you are someone who enjoys reading and has a lot of books they've read over the years or are planning on reading at home, this video is not about you. I'm talking about people with 5+ special editions of the same book and book merch drawers bursting at the seams. And even then, these videos are meant to be discussions of trends, not personal attack on individuals, so pls keep that in mind.that being said, I hope you enjoy and thank you for watching xxtimestamps00:00 - intro: overconsumption is over, long live underconsumption... sort of04:51 - what is underconsumption?06:47 - books and fashion08:49 - books and home decor13:10 - what is bookshelf wealth? (and sorry for bringing this term into your life)14:14 - everyone wants to be a "book influencer"16:21 - booktok's reaction to the underconsumption trend18:29 - "underconsumption" and it's just people being normal20:27 - booktok reactions continued24:32 - media consumption and the desire to be an interesting personvideos mentionedmy very own video youtube.com/watch?v=0ckcYAbdGl8&t=768sTiffany Ferg - youtube.com/watch?v=xQ00SS1RJboKatie Robinson - youtube.com/watch?v=FTlcMycU13E&t=83sbeepworld - youtube.com/watch?v=0NxtXAtlnKYMina Le - youtube.com/watch?v=WxDd8ocpcHk&t=71sSwell Entertainment - youtube.com/watch?v=gg-to2OZvho&t=1089sarticles and books: vogue.co.uk/article/underconsumption-coretheguardian.com/fashion/article/2024/aug/07/it-is-ok-to-be-content-with-your-simple-life-is-underconsumption-core-the-answer-to-too-much-shoppingtheguardian.com/fashion/article/2024/aug/03/luxury-fashion-floppingbooks.google.co.uk/books/about/You_Could_Look_It_Up.html?id=EejrjgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
NYT 100 best books, book influencers, and the death of negative reviews According to Alina 2024-09-06 | Join my book club here: links.fable.co/according-to-alinathere are 3 things on my mind in this video:The New York Times published its list of the 100 best books of the 21st century last month. Everyone is trying to be a book influencer.No one is writing negative reviews anymore because they don't want to get cancelled. Bonus 4th thing on my mind: they all might be contributing to the fact that everyone on the internet seems to be reading the same books - and to have pretty much the same opinions about them. So let's talk about it. Also (and way more exciting), I'm starting my very own book club!!! If you want a place to chat about books with other people and get book recommendations (or share your own book recommendations) - join me on Fable to read a new book each month.For our first read I chose Generation X by Douglas Coupland, which follows a few twenty-somethings who "have been handed a society priced beyond their means" - I was leafing through it the other day and the term "boomer envy" leaped out at me from the page. I figured what better way to start a book club. If you have any weird book recommendations, any niche books or whimsical stuff you've always wondered about but never got to reading, please let me know and I'll add them to the list!timestamps00:00 - news from the online book world that stood out to me03:20 - I'm starting a book club yay05:50 - what is the New York Times 100 best books of the 21st century list and why is there ~discourse~ about it?10:24 - book influencers and undeserved hype12:50 - criticism≠insults: thoughtful critique is actually good for art. being "a hater" is not.articles and videos mentioned: The New York Times book list: nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.htmlMina Le video about negative reviews, being a hater etc etc youtube.com/watch?v=yBEh4yn7I0Ethank you for watching and see you in the book club xxxxx
THOUGHT DAUGHTER: reading aesthetic or femcel rebrand? According to Alina 2024-08-14 | Download Love & Pies here: pixly.go2cloud.org/SH4Rj Play until level 3, to receive a free gift to your in-game inbox within seven days.Thanks to Love & Pies for sponsoring!"What is a thought daughter?" is the question on everyone's lips... well, on my lips, anyway.The thought daughter trend began to take shape on TikTok earlier this year in response to another, slightly less innocuous trend, which saw street interviewers walk up to people to ask them "would you rather have a gay son or thot daughter?"In response to this, the thought daughter was born. What does it mean to be a thought daughter, I hear you ask. Well, a variety of things. According to some a thought daughter is someone who thinks and feels more than other people. She reads, journals and listens to moody music, and when she's not staring out the window watching passers-by and contemplating existence, she's watching movies and tv shows about young "unhinged" women. According to others, it's just another TikTok reading aesthetic for women who want to look smart and sophisticated. And judging by the reading list, it might just be femcelcore in a different font. timestamps:00:00 - intro02:38 - thought daughter origins and definition04:54 - thought daughters and mental health08:57 - thought daughters and the reading aesthetic 13:10 - thought daughters and femcels20:52 - criticism and conclusionssources:articles mentioned:theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/05/femcel-meaning-female-incel-reddit/629836globalnews.ca/news/9449316/femcel-definition-social-media-sex-gender-incelsneonmusic.co.uk/unravelling-the-enigma-what-does-a-thought-daughter-meanhercampus.com/school/casper-libero/tiktok-trend-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-thought-daughtervideos mentioned:Thought daughter summer, "thoughtful" daughter aesthetic and thought daughters reading recommendations vidsyoutube.com/watch?v=QNy7QKWJ0Fsyoutube.com/watch?v=akUX4cbA9WY&t=65syoutube.com/watch?v=_h1vQb0FbTM&t=59svideos essays mentioned:Tara Mooknee pick me videoyoutube.com/watch?v=DwtQmXpu4AY&t=681sMina Le girlbloggers, femcels and toxic manipulators videoyoutube.com/watch?v=W6aDNutZoB0&t=406sThis video was written and produced by According to Alina and Norma Maherthanks for watching xxx
Franz Kafka: an unlikely TikTok star According to Alina 2024-07-28 | Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code AccordingTo for 4 months EXTRA at https://surfshark.deals/AccordingTooh to be a teenager on TikTok these days! so many things you can be mindlessly obsessed with at your fingertips. You might even end up making content about Kafka... or you might have read and related to his work on such a profound level that you simply have to yap about it on the internet. Which is most likely how kafkatok, the TikTok community dedicated to the works of Franz Kafka came to be. But back in February 2023, when some mainstream media outlets started writing about it, people couldn't seem to believe that could be the case. The general opinion was closer to the hypothesis that the kids were just posting about Kafka out of combination of vanity and boredom. And truthfully, there are a lot of silly Kafka videos populating TikTok and its oft thirsty younger sister, Booktok. But I think that the Kafka enthusiasm among lonely Gen Z is for real. And makes perfect sense. So step aside watertok, make some room tarottok, there's a new relatively unhinged community in town and it's here to stay.timestamps:00:00 - Franz Kafka: big name on TikTok01:50 - #kafka tok: between bookclub and fandom05:22 - Kafka girls ≠ fangirls... they're just doing a bit07:24 - why gen z are actually obsessed with Kafka10:54 - does Gen Z have kafkasque humour? discuss.12:18 - Kafka is one of the girlsarticles quoted: Daily Mail article comparing Kafka to Harry Styles lmaodailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11737477/Franz-Kafka-unlikely-HEARTTHROB-TikTok.htmlNew York Times articlenytimes.com/2024/06/01/arts/franz-kafka-tiktok-centennial.htmlThe Spectatorspectator.co.uk/article/stop-turning-dead-authors-into-sex-symbolsDazeddazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/58053/1/why-is-everyone-so-obsessed-with-franz-kafka-metamorphosis-beetleLithublithub.com/tiktok-has-awoken-and-found-itself-with-a-mad-crush-on-kafkaI don't own any of the tiktoks or memes cited and have done my best to show sources on screen but will not copy and paste links bc I don't have that kind of time xAs always, thank you so so much for watching!
How women took over literature (or why men abandoned it) According to Alina 2024-06-30 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINAStatements like “Tiktok is ruining literature” or “Tiktok has ruined reading” have been at the core of book discourse online and off for over two years now. A couple of months ago I made a video about this topic and titled it "why there are no great writers anymore" and the people had opinions, including that it is, in fact, women who have ruined literature. So let's discuss.timestamps:00:00- women are still ruining literature, apparently03:42 - where are all the male novelists?09:56 - where are all the male readers? 11:29 - what does the data say? 16:20 - women are not taking over literature, they're taking over literary prizes22:47 - no one has anything to gain from only reading books by men or women (and also there are other people out there, too)watch the previous video here: youtu.be/syQaCn5-VYkarticles mentioned:University of Dublin study about male TikTok accounts and misogyny - https://www.dcu.ie/humanities-and-social-sciences/news/2024/apr/new-research-shows-how-tiktok-and-youtube-shorts-areElizabeth Strout interview - thetimes.com/article/elizabeth-strout-warns-of-the-dangers-of-women-writers-dominating-fiction-z93tqkh6gDazed articles - dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/54863/1/where-have-all-the-young-male-novelists-gonedazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/57815/1/opinion-can-we-please-have-more-young-male-novelists-2023-barry-pierceIrish Times article - irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/04/20/where-has-the-rock-star-male-novelist-goneChristopher Fowler blog - christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/2021/10/25/where-did-all-the-male-readers-goMary Ann Sieghart essay - lithub.com/why-are-so-many-men-still-resistant-to-reading-womenDime novels source - https://chnm.gmu.edu/dimenovels/index.html%3Fp=155.htmlNew Statesman article - newstatesman.com/culture/books/2023/04/decline-literary-blokeSiri Hustvedt essay - lithub.com/knausgaard-writes-like-a-woman
6 books you should read this summer According to Alina 2024-06-16 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINAI got tired of talking about booktok so here is a vlog discussing books a.k.a book recommendations that no one asked for! I love watching unusual book recommendation videos or videos from people talking about books that changed them, got them into reading or just simply books you don't see that often. Anything that isn't a haul of 20+ latest releases, basically.Since I've never done a video like this before, I chose a mix between a couple contemporary books I've read over the past few years and some (modern) classics that I was obsessed with at some point growing up - and which I think have fallen to the underrated novel pile recently.Feel free to leave weird book recommendations, obscure novel recommendations or just generally books worth my time in the comments xxtimestamps:00:45 - Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley03:26 - The Collector by John Fowles05:55 - Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (+ everything else she has ever done because I love her)08:30 - A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe11:05 - I, Robot by Isaac Asimov13:11 - We by Yevgeny ZamyatinP.s. soz about the camera going in and out of focus - I didn't realise until it was too late!
Why is booktok discourse so shallow? According to Alina 2024-05-31 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINAYouTube has been taken over by "booktok bad" videos and after watching an inordinate amount of them, I got a sneaky feeling that although they are very good at explaining what Booktok is bad at, these videos might not be that "good" themselves. Does Booktok have an overconsumption problem? Yes. Are reading aesthetics a bit cringe? Also yes.And yes, the "spicy" book community can be a weird place at times. Certainly, one that comedian YouTubers can easily poke fun at. But is that enough to throw around the "booktok is ruining literature" claim journalists and commentators love to clickbait with so much?timestamps:00:00 - I try to convince you I'm not a booktok apologist01:19 - everyone's favourite scapegoat: the spicy book ladies2:30 - "the problem with booktok is that it's performative"5:21 - romance readers and being an intellectual online9:12 - booktok is not just romance and spicy books FOR THE LOVE OF GOD10:11 - the "tropeification" of literature 11:42 - the death of negative reviews13:13 - caveat: some of the spicy book people are just unhinged 13:54 - the romance/ spicy book moral panic19:45 - romance and erotica books have always been bestsellers21:00 - critical thinking ≠ being a hater23:30 - criticizing booktok gets viewsthe sources on this were all included on screen, sorry if I miss some of the linksvideos mentioned: Cyber Noop: youtube.com/watch?v=cwS2Qt0wexA&t=104sAydin Atush: youtube.com/watch?v=R92UY6HoxGY&t=22sRayLikeSunshine: youtube.com/watch?v=2CuuTCbo3vo&t=23sChad Chad: youtube.com/watch?v=rCQpkI6waYs&t=20sAlisha not Alihsha: youtube.com/watch?v=S3v6aY8LSXo&t=821syoutube.com/watch?v=mC0rTfDe7DI&t=810sPrincess Weekes: youtube.com/watch?v=54v0KJZJuyw&t=1945sJack Edwards: youtube.com/watch?v=xtG4OKU7q-M&t=1789sAlice Cappelle: youtube.com/watch?v=dmMDikbHgTc&t=24smy previous video about romance books being "bad for women": youtube.com/watch?v=dczTv_J__Dg&t=1117sthe substack essay:madisonhuizinga.substack.com/p/booktok-is-turning-books-into-commoditiesNYT article about Penguin Random House CEO: nytimes.com/2024/01/30/books/penguin-random-house-nihar-malaviya.html#booktok
Why we feel behind in life: from Rory Gilmore to the career woman trope According to Alina 2024-05-12 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINAI've fallen down the "feeling behind in life"/ "lost in life" / "starting over in your 20s or 30s" rabbit hole and I don't like what I see: an increasing number of millennials and gen z feeling like they work as hard as they can and have nothing to show for it. In this video, I look at some narrative tropes we grew up with (and when I say we I mean mainly women and afab people), in particular at the "smart girl" Rory Gilmore type and the "plucky career woman". If you're anything like me, these stereotypes might have led you to believe that life is one ongoing academic/career ladder that you can endlessly climb until you magically reach a point of happiness and purpose. You might have learned from girls like Rory Gilmore or Andy Sachs in the Devil Wears Prada or Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, that there's a pre-established order of events that your life should unfold around... only to find out that reality is a little more complicated than that.timestamps: 00:00 - introduction: my life is not exactly what I thought it would be00:53 - milestone anxiety explained02:48 - the bit where I overshare05:39 - why I'm blaming Rory Gilmore for all my problems06:39 - career girls and their girlboss ways08:12 - the hero's journey and life as a series of achievements10:07 - milestone anxiety is present across demographics, I'm just talking about women cause they're my favourite12:36 - the pressure to have it all figures out before "settling down"13:24 - how we romanticise our 20s15:11 - girlbossing? in this economy?please like and subscribe love youuuuuuresourcesarticles and research about feeling behind in life and milestone anxiety Relate: relate.org.uk/get-help/milestone-anxiety-rise-among-millennials-and-gen-zindependent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/roger-taylor-gen-z-england-wales-social-media-b2161823.htmlgraziadaily.co.uk/life/mental-health/milestone-anxiety-celebrating-small-winsarticles about the smart girl trope (and that one The Take video)avclub.com/tracking-the-evolution-of-the-smart-girl-trope-in-pop-1841433179youtube.com/watch?v=JQcrIm5L-mAarticle about neuroplasticitywashingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/02/brain-plasticity-learning-agingNot Even Emily video about expectations vs. reality of our 20syoutube.com/watch?v=tbhyi2xJvrM&t=245sseries and movies mentioned:Gilmore GirlsModern FamilyThe Devil Wears PradaMorning GloryThe Ugly TruthHow to Lose a Guy in 10 DaysLmk in the comments if I forgot anything!
The tortured poet trope According to Alina 2024-04-28 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINATaylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is here and generating ~discourse~ about her personal life, politics, public persona, and pretty much everything she's ever said and done. More importantly (to me and other literature nerds) it has started a conversation around what it means to be a tortured poet/artist and who gets to call themselves that. So of course I couldn't resist chiming in with my two cents.In this video, I try to reconstruct a sort of genealogy of the "tortured artist/poet", from Ancient Greece and a dubious Plato quote, to the 18th and 19th centuries with the Romantics and the poèts maudits. Finally, I try to answer the social media rage-fuelled question: can billionaires make art? and is telling them they can't actually helping the rest of us?timestamps:00:00 - Taylor Swift is not a tortured poet2:41 - billionaires can't be tortured3:10 - a brief and subjective history of the tortured poet7:23 - is Taylor Swift a bad writer or is she just rich?14:11 - why gatekeeping "tortured-ness" doesn't help marginalised artists18:56 - I'm pretty sure she's talking about Matty Healy 19:26 - The Tortured Poets Department and the suffering aestheticlink to sources and other things mentioned:quick overview of Romanticismbritannica.com/art/Romanticismtortured artist wiki pageen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortured_artistThe Tortured Artist Trope (in reference to the use of *that* Plato quote)medium.com/@jackneath2/killing-the-tortured-artist-trope-924b38e24b6cThe Unromantic Truth About Tortured Poetsthecritic.co.uk/the-unromantic-truth-about-tortured-poetsarticle about research on creativity and "tortured artists"gold.ac.uk/news/the-tortured-artist-mythlink to the research tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400419.2022.2122371?cookieSet=1David Lynch compilation on art and depression by youtube user CrazyMaxerreyoutube.com/watch?v=4ur3l2GKWzkfootage I use at the end is from Taylor Swift's new music video for the song Fortnight, in case there are still people who haven't seen it yet. Also, a little note to zealous swifties: this video is not meant as a personal attack on Taylor, it's a conversation about people's ideas about art in relation to Taylor Swift as a brand, so please be civil in your responses to it. I'm a bit ambivalent about even writing this because I hate the way people who criticize TS rush to paint her fanbase as a deranged mob, but I have had a couple of intense responses on another video where I make the tiniest observation about her and I would like it if we could keep the comment section a safe space for everyone to express their opinions. I understand that when you admire someone it's difficult to see other criticize that person, but I promise nothing anyone will say in the comment section of a youtube with 20k subs could ever touch someone as influential as Taylor. We are all tiny insects on the windshield of the private jet that is her life.
The cult of Goodreads According to Alina 2024-04-14 | Head to squarespace.com/accordingtoalina to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ACCORDINGTOALINAGoodreads is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations. It was launched in January 2007 with the mission to help readers discover they love and get more out of their reading. Those are the first few lines on the Goodreads "about us" page and I believe that for a while, the sentiment behind them was genuine. But as with all social media sites built on good intentions, today Goodreads is in large part just another place where people who care far too much about being correct on the internet go to scream into the void. You might think of a place for book reviews as a relatively wholesome part of the internet but a few weeks of regularly logging on to the site will reveal all sorts of controversies, from review-bombing to bizarre author dynamics to good ol' Amazon-fuelled consumerism (in the insidious shape of the Goodreads reading challenge).That is, you will notice all these things if the website manages to load before you lose all patience. In this video I talk about some of the more glaring issues with Goodreads and how it has affected reading as a hobby. because if BookTok really is ruining reading, I have a sneaky feeling Goodreads is not far behind...timestamps:00:00 - what I talk about when I talk about "cults"01:56 - why Goodreads sucks04:53 - why Goodreads REALLY sucks (amazon, overconsumption etc.)05:25 - why can't we all just quit it?06:33 - the criticism: "competitive reading" and review bombing10:15 - why Goodreads looks so bad: status and conoisseurship resources (in order of appearance):Sounds Like a Cult podcast: soundslikeacult.comCultish by Amanda Montell: harpercollins.com/products/cultish-amanda-montellvideos about leaving GoodreadsRana Najjar youtube.com/watch?v=ApdzCtP4isE&t=71sMarisa Thoman youtube.com/watch?v=QEg1w6O4qYk&t=84sLeena Norms youtube.com/watch?v=zMiJDv265kAJack Edwards youtube.com/watch?v=urARTl5a3mE&t=373sThe Gamification of Reading is Changing How We Approach Books shondaland.com/inspire/books/a44567428/the-gamification-of-reading-is-changing-how-we-approach-books/#Goodreads is Terrible for books. Why Can't We All Quit It?thewalrus.ca/goodreads-is-terribleGoodreads is right to divide opinions, wrong to boil them downtheguardian.com/books/2023/jul/25/goodreads-is-right-to-divide-opinions-wrong-to-boil-them-down#:~:text=Emotions%20run%20high%20on,launch%20to%20stay%20off%20it.thanks for watching, pls subscribe etc etc xxxxxxxx
Why there are no great writers anymore According to Alina 2024-03-31 | Statements like “Tiktok is ruining literature” or “Tiktok has ruined reading” have been at the core of book discourse online and off for over two years now. We’ve arrived at a point in book culture where the publishing landscape is, for better or worse, shaped by Tiktok, more specifically the book niche on Tiktok, the infamous booktok. Whether you agree that booktok is the end of literature or the future of storytelling, the fact remains that at the moment, writers are all but subjugated to its volatile trends. In this video, I talk about what this might mean for individual authors and for the figure of the "great writer". timestamps:00:00 - intro01:59 - what is a "great writer"?08:28 - everyone's a sellout now23:24 - likeability is a jail29:47 - to promote or not to promotereferences and resources:videos on the "tiktok is ruining literature" debateJack Edwards: youtube.com/watch?v=xtG4OKU7q-M&t=107sThe Book Leo: youtube.com/watch?v=gu2Q1unqr7U&t=2027svideos about the Cait Corrain situationwith Cindy: youtube.com/watch?v=FY4vgK9B8skvideos about the "death of the It Girl"Jordan Theresa: youtube.com/watch?v=RQiZlKoAbSg&t=8sNicole Rafiee: youtube.com/watch?v=XOkoT4fwzt4the one Mina Le video I mentioned: youtube.com/watch?v=kH6Xmkd1g6kThe Polyester podcast episode about the "people's princess": open.spotify.com/episode/1EldY86TKyCie5c6Prsxq6?si=pyCUt0odSmy-jXd5OxYdCABriana Soler's newsletter: brianasoler.substack.com/p/back-to-basicsArticlesLiterary It Girls: nylon.com/life/the-makings-of-a-literary-it-girlEveryone's a sellout now: vox.com/culture/2024/2/1/24056883/tiktok-self-promotion-artist-career-how-to-build-followingCait Corrain Guardian story: theguardian.com/books/2023/dec/13/cait-corrain-publisher-drops-author-fake-accounts-review-bombAlex Aster Guardian story: theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/16/alex-aster-interview-lightlark-booktok-tiktokBooksA Very Short Introduction to Bestsellers: global.oup.com/academic/product/bestsellers-a-very-short-introduction-9780199214891?cc=gb&lang=en&#The Death of the Artist: How Creators are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech: us.macmillan.com/books/9781250125514/thedeathoftheartistThank you so much for watching xxx
TikTok book trends and the ‘cool girl’ novel According to Alina 2024-02-25 | I'm hooking you all up with toys! Everyone who enters my giveaway will win a free toy or gift card: bboutique.co/vibe/accordingtoalina-ytThe mob wife aesthetic has arrived and no corner of the internet is safe, not even booktok. Recommending "mob wife books" on TikTok might seem like a contrived effort to jump on the latest trend in hopes of going viral because it is. But it also got me thinking about the infamous reading aesthetic and how it has evolved over the past couple if years. Last year I made a video about a GQ article that criticised a perceived superficiality in the way people interact with books online. In the author's opinion, people on Instagram and TikTok didn't read as much as wanted to portray themselves as reader. The online book community revolved around the aesthetic of reading, not reading itself. But if you've been paying close attention at the online book space over the past year, you will have noticed that there isn't just one unifying "bookish aesthetic". The days of dark academia are over. The Hermione Granger and Rory Gilmore - inspired reader girl archetype has taken a back seat to the cooler and slightly more self-absorbed "hot girl".Rising from the ashes of the "that girl", the hot girl/cool girl/sad girl reading trend speaks to young women who are interested in character-driven stories about women. It revolves around portrayals of failed female perfection and the aftermath of that failure. It platform so-called unhinged women and female rage. But whether these stories are as powerful or as transgressive as their intended audience wants them to be, remains widely debated. Despite its commercial popularity, critics have labeled the "cool girl novel" dull, repetitive and navel-gazing. Its writers are nothing more than Sally Rooney wannabes and its readers are just using the book object to create the illusion of a personality. As usual, I agree with some if this and disagree with the rest... watch the video to see which is which. Timestamps:00:00 mob wife books are triggering to me00:41 the reading aesthetic is actually lots of smaller sub-reading aesthetics03:04 dark academia - the og book aesthetic05:49 the pandemic and the rise of cottage-core, girl-core and that girl07:18 what the hell are cool girl novels, hot girl books and sad girl literature?12:35 the hot girl reading industrial complex18:09 it's always "what are cool girl novels" and never "why are there cool girl novels"videos referenced:Mina Le vids - youtube.com/watch?v=KqjpuUJQFcM&t=424syoutube.com/watch?v=WxDd8ocpcHk&t=2357sRowan Ellis vid - youtube.com/watch?v=sfkYXVdkUEE&t=511sYou can buy Alice Cappelle's Collapse Feminism here: repeaterbooks.com/product/collapse-feminismarticles referenced:theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/08/a-smorgasbord-of-unlikability-the-authors-helping-sad-girl-lit-grow-uphttps://instyleaustralia.com.au/culture/what-is-a-hot-girl-book/theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/09/reading-is-so-sexy-gen-z-turns-to-physical-books-and-librariesnewstatesman.com/culture/books/2023/09/curse-cool-girl-novelist-parodynytimes.com/2022/04/18/t-magazine/book-stylists-instagram-influencers.htmlalso referenced: @christinaobo and @ellereadsomebooks (on Instagram)As always, thank you for watching and SUBSCRIBEEEEEEEEE (please)
The rise and fall of StudyTube: hustle culture and TikTok consumerism According to Alina 2024-01-28 | Go to betterhelp.com/accordingtoalina for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #advert In 2018, Sutdytube was one of the fastest-growing niches on YouTube. A year later, creators like Ruby Granger, Jack Edwards and Jade Bowler were making national headlines which hailed them as beacons of hope for students hoping to improve their grades everywhere. Fast forward to the pandemic years and the popularity of 'study with me' videos reached a popularity that none of the teens posting study tip videos in 2015 could have imagined. But with the study with me boom came increasingly extreme content, chief among them, the real-time 12-hour study with me stream. Elsewhere on StudyTok, the TikTok studying niche, "study inspiration" videos began raking in millions of views, despite offering little to no actual advice, but rather functioning as cute and aesthetic vehicles for the consumption of stationery and studying gadgets. In this video, I trace the history of the online study community, from its beginnings to its hustle culture-fuelled peak and its current consumer trend-based form. timestamps00:00 - intro00:43 - what is studytube?1:48 - studytube and hustle culture4:55 - the origins of the online studying community6:09 - first gen studytube: the relatable study buddy8:17 - second gen studytube: the 12-hour work day11:04 - when the criticism goes too far12:25 - studytube and mindfulness14:25 - the importance of "how to study" content15:59 - studytok and overconsumptionvideos referenced:Alice Cappelle: *study with me* videos have gone too far... (hustle culture and studytube)youtube.com/watch?v=PUnRZmqbQ-Y&t=510sTiffany Ferg: The Impossible Standards of College Admissionsyoutube.com/watch?v=TTwyWthgKw8&t=242sThe Workload of College is Overwhelmingyoutube.com/watch?v=JGeyMwc5q8k&t=13sEllisJ: The Problem with James Scholz and Study With Me YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=q0ziV040Ie8&t=198sMariana Vieira: the studytube community + consumerism // an honest conversationyoutube.com/watch?v=pM2HTpLgHGsStudytubers mentioned (in no particular order - also keep in mind some of them no longer make study content): Jack Edwards, Ruby Granger, UnJaded Jade, James Scholz, Study with Merve.Articles and resources mentioned: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StudyTubeinews.co.uk/news/education/studytube-youtubers-revision-university-influencers-followers-a-levels-gcses-326390vice.com/en/article/7k9qvx/why-its-satisfying-to-watch-other-people-organize-bullet-journal-notion-setup-youtube-tiktokbbc.com/news/newsbeat-49419641theorbital.co.uk/studytube-helpful-or-dangerousthestray.org/2021/04/02/im-sorry-im-not-ruby-granger-the-problem-with-studytubestudybreaks.com/tvfilm/studytubers-can-be-harmfultrillmag.com/life/social-media/the-dark-side-of-studytubetheguardian.com/education/2019/dec/02/the-rise-of-edutube-how-social-media-influencers-are-shaping-universitiesglasgowguardian.co.uk/2020/12/12/studytube-youre-toxic-im-slippin-into-a-panic-spiral-about-my-productivitythe song used in the intro is William Tell Overture (by Rossini)Licence: YouTube Audio Library As always, thank you so much for watching and I hope to see you in the next one xx#studytube #studytok #commentary
The problem with the classics vs. BookTok’ debate According to Alina 2024-01-14 | The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare https://skl.sh/accordingtoalina01241Booktok has been criticized for many things over the past year or so, all critiques inevitably leading back to the same thing - its superficiality. It doesn't matter if you're on TikTok, bookstagram, book Twitter, and even booktube, you'll inevitably come across the take that the online book community is shallow and they're using books "for the aesthetic". "Everybody wants to be a reader, but no one actually reads any real literature anymore" is something I've read about a dozen times in some phrasing or other in the last month alone. And what is real literature? Why, 'the classics' of course. In this video I have a think about *those* people on the internet who have made reading classics literature into a personality trait that they then use to signal some sort of moral superiority to everyone else. I'm particularly interested in the type of person who complains what all the books trending on TikTok are trash, but then takes issue with the bookish community online making reading "Kafka, Camus and Dostoyevski" into a TikTok trend. Which begs the question: were they reading and professing their love for the classics out of genuine interest or is it just another instance of social media virtue signaling? I'll leave that up to you to decide. time stamps:00:00 - 2023, the year of books00:41 - I actually love the classics, before you come for me01:15 - the twitter classics virtuoso01:52 - what is a classic? (and who decides)03:05 - are the classics good or just intimidating?06:02 - when a book stops being a classic10:05 - national literature, the literary canon and the nation state12:30 - whose human condition?14:13 - gatekeeping the classics16:29 - reading and virtue signaling19:33 - cute dogvideos referenced:The Book Leo youtube.com/watch?v=9VA0Cx8K0VQ&t=70sMichael K Vaughan youtube.com/watch?v=nRvT3IglhE0&t=620sclassics recommendations video shown on screen:emmie youtube.com/watch?v=qD838yMa2-M&t=11sJack Edwards youtube.com/watch?v=92QbQOK8VTIDakota Warren youtube.com/watch?v=Jw7kdOK2qUM&t=8sthroneofpages youtube.com/watch?v=RLPxJHcLA94&t=13sarticles referenced:'What makes a classic?' - panmacmillan.com/blogs/classics/what-are-classic-books'Do we need to dismantle the literary canon?' - theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/12/the-big-idea-do-we-need-to-dismantle-the-literary-canonYou can have a peek into The Routledge Concise History of World Literature here: books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Routledge_Concise_History_of_World_L.html?id=jG4mkgAACAAJ&redir_esc=yand since you're here, watch my other videos!The READING AESTHETIC: 'book girls' on TikTok and Instagram are ruining literature (apparently)youtube.com/watch?v=q6krVYT0Jo4TikTok's overconsumption problem: is BookTok just as bad?youtube.com/watch?v=0ckcYAbdGl8&t=80sBookTok romance books are bad for women: let's unpackyoutube.com/watch?v=dczTv_J__Dg&t=454sCelebrity book clubs: why IT girls love the TikTok reading aestheticyoutube.com/watch?v=jfE_Ko-_x_w&t=55sIf you're still reading, I just wanted to say hi, thanks for watching!#booktok #booktube
BookTok romance books are bad for women… sort of According to Alina 2023-12-24 | The romance community on Booktok has grown in notoriety far beyond the bounds of TikTok, giving rise to many-a-think-pieces across the world wide web. In this video, I explore the internet's reaction to this community and its controversies - from those worried about the state of literature to those concerned for the poor little women who seem to inhale one Colleen Hoover tome after another - hoping to definitely answer the old-age question: are romance books bad for women?timestamps:00:00 - intro01:17 - everything wrong with romance booktok 02:03 - is spicytok to blame for book overconsumption?03:50 - the writing is bad, but is that a surprise?06:07 - the misogyny question06:59 - the most unhinged romance novels09:11 - if booktok is a cult, who are the cult leaders?11:46 - the hockey player thirsting debacle14:50 - spicy books: the questionable gateway to female sexual liberation?17:32 - madame bovary syndrome and the moral panic over the female psycheVideos referenced:Swell Entertainment youtube.com/watch?v=44MHR2iZtNo&t=816sWith Cindy youtube.com/watch?v=xTYxx9npRns&t=1615syoutube.com/watch?v=O6ZpCqQAfZ8&t=161sKhadija Mbowe youtube.com/watch?v=T9QP2U1ndGk&t=1118sCasey Aonso youtube.com/watch?v=IatKojHB5KEyoutube.com/watch?v=jqPrvUjfh-sJack Edwards youtube.com/watch?v=TOk7isYDMuUAnnamarie Forcino youtube.com/watch?v=IBYwyklxHz4Alice Cappelle youtube.com/watch?v=27Qg9W3FpPU&t=297sArticles and other sources: rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/tillie-cole-darkness-embraced-romance-debate-tiktok-1234875534insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/porn-addiction#:~:text=Porn%20addiction%20is%20not%20a,life%20or%20relationships%2C%20seek%20therapy.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2011-jul-07-la-heb-romance-novels-women-health-20110707-story.htmlgoogle.com/url?q=livescience.com/14985-romance-novels-bad-women-health-psyche-psychologist.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1703432243868158&usg=AOvVaw0CWiX26XHVWZ_es4BxbzDtnpr.org/2011/07/07/137675779/romance-fiction-and-womens-health-a-dose-of-skepticismapa.org/news/press/releases/2000/04/video-gamestheguardian.com/games/2020/jul/22/playing-video-games-doesnt-lead-to-violent-behaviour-study-showsverywellfamily.com/aggressive-behavior-and-video-games-1094980literariness.org/2016/11/18/psychological-reader%E2%80%91response-theory#booktok #booktube
Stalking on socials: from Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez to TikTok detectives According to Alina 2023-12-03 | So the TikTok girlies are sharing tips on how to lurk on people's socials and I find them fascinating!I've already spoken about the rise social media stalking in a video about Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez which I made back in March, but I've learned so much that I can't unlearn about it since - telling people about it on the internet was my only option. timestamps:00:00 - intro: 02:38 - what is social media "stalking"05:34 - hate-watching and hate-following06:42 - stop stalking your ex's Instagram07:29 - stalker TikTok girlies scare me09:23 - stalking on socials and breakups12:13 - retroactive jealousy: when you're jealous of the ex14:00 - stalker storytime!!!16:51 - the Love is Blind situation21:13 - conclusion: get off your phoneLove is Blind recap video I mentioned is by Kennie JDyoutube.com/watch?v=Z7GRn39uofgOut of the Pods podcast episode mentionedyoutube.com/watch?v=FjMkAWHPjsw&t=1185sother sources:refinery29.com/en-gb/2018/11/207383/retroactive-jealousy-relationshipIt's Complicated: Romantic Breakups and their Aftermath on Facebook ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/645Breakup 2.0 Disconnecting over New Mediaamazon.co.uk/Breakup-2-0-Disconnecting-Over-MediaLearn more about online harmglitchcharity.co.uk
BookTok and overconsumption According to Alina 2023-11-19 | TikTok promotes overconsumption - that's a sentence you'll no doubt have heard at some point over the past couple of years. It started with TikTok fashion, then with TikTok beauty trends and food and drink (remember WaterTok?) and it has slowly made its way into homeware. Judging by the rate at which BookTok is growing, I think literature is next. Chapters:00:00 - TikTok is a selling machine01:05 - the BookTok boom and book haul culture04:04 - BookTok is not all bad04:36 - but it's not all good either06:18 - everyone wants to read MORE10:34 - reading = virtue12:03 - reading also = entertainment13:10 - the environmental impact15:19 - an ode to personal libraries and unread books17:15 - BookTok burnout19:44 - remember libraries?21:21 - TikTok is starting a publishing company22:50 - the TikTokification of literature24:52 - thank you for watching love youVideos mentioned Jordan Theresa - youtube.com/watch?v=iI4qUrt9R60&t=96sMina Le - youtube.com/watch?v=JR3z8lq2cNM&t=155sAlice Cappelle - youtube.com/watch?v=vi1nIumGnuw&t=198sTiffany Ferg - youtube.com/watch?v=1ovahkCFKio&t=165sJack Edwards - youtube.com/watch?v=kkFTvBvliXw&t=532sElliot Sang - youtube.com/watch?v=P3bYCYSIBGAGabi Belle - youtube.com/watch?v=mS4r5tDxASE&t=212sArticles mentionedtheguardian.com/books/2023/jul/29/its-exciting-its-powerful-how-translated-fiction-captured-a-new-generation-of-readersmashable.com/article/diverse-book-recommendations-accounts-to-follownytimes.com/2023/07/01/books/tiktok-book-publishing-bytedance.htmlbookriot.com/tiktok-publishing-companytheguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/23/reading-is-precious-but-the-cult-of-book-ownership-can-be-smug-and-middle-classthebookseller.com/comment/must-writers-get-on-booktokThe TikTok creator asking whether books are the new fast fashion is Kaelyn Grace Apple - @KaelynGraceApple both on TikTok and here on YouTube."personal book cellar" articlehttps://sentiers.media/dispatch-14-a-personal-book-cellar/thank you so much for watching, please subscribe!!!!#booktok #booktube
Rory Gilmore & the former gifted child TikTok trend According to Alina 2023-10-29 | Rory Gilmore is the protagonist of the hit dramedy Gilmore Girls and an icon to all of us. But no matter how strong a hold she and Lorelai still have on us, it's hard to rewatch the show and pretend that Rory's character development isn't one of the most disappointing falls from grace in TV history. Luckily, I'm here to make excuses for her in the form of a TikTok trend I came across recently in which people self-diagnose with "former gifted child syndrome".Former gifted child syndrome describes adults who were overachievers as children and who now struggle to be content with their lives if they're not constantly doing the most. They also have a hard time trying to do things/ doing things they might not be good at out of an extreme fear of failure. Sounds like our Rory doesn't it? Chapters:00:00 - everybody hates Rory now2:46 - what is the former gifted child syndrome5:25 - how Rory fell from grace10:45 - the former gifted child to depressed adult pipeline18:54 - former gifted children of tiktok are a little cringe19:40 - "giftedness" and neurodiversityvideos referenced:Trinity Tay - The Downfall of Rory Gilmore youtube.com/watch?v=2wzJYrM5SJc&t=212sThe Take - Rory, the O.G. Annoying Millennial youtube.com/watch?v=dKXTJvR1COw&t=238sSilver Screen Freak - The EXACT moment Rory's downfall begins | Gilmore Girls youtube.com/watch?v=WxkvbtesPq8&t=329sSilver Screen Freak - Gilmore Girls A pick me girls fantasyyoutube.com/watch?v=y25eHkjh7VAMetro UK article mentioned:metro.co.uk/2022/03/05/as-a-former-gifted-child-i-think-we-praise-kids-too-much-16120638 Thank you so much for watching!!#gilmoregirls #rorygilmore
Why all It girls have book clubs now According to Alina 2023-10-08 | Ever since booktok became one of the most popular TikTok niches, everyone has been obsessed with reading AND the reading aesthetic. Back in March, I made a video about *that* GQ article that claimed we were all pretending to be bookworms to look smart, but I didn't really touch on how celebrities play into this. Luckily for you (???) about a month ago I found out that Dua Lipa started a book club. After pulling at that thread for a bit it turns out that a lot of them either have started one or are currently recommending books through their social media - complete with affiliate links. So I started to think about what this means: can celebrities - people whose entire public existence is monetized in some way or another - genuinely claim that they're just sharing their favourite books online for the sake of connecting with their fans? Or is this just another business move?Are book clubs the next step in the celebrity brand empire?As usual, I don't mean any hate to any of the people mentioned and I hope that my comments come across as what they're intended: a critique of phenomena in popular culture and not criticism of individual people. Hope you enjoy!My other video about the reading aesthetic and 'bookish girls' on TikTok and Instagram: youtube.com/watch?v=q6krVYT0Jo4Other creators mentioned:Alice Cappelle (@AliceCappelle) - the video I mentioned here is no longer available but I wholeheartedly recommend all of her content!Jack Edwards (@jack_edwards) - he has a whole celebrity book club playlist but you can start here youtube.com/watch?v=h6uQ-SlL2C4&list=PL-UUknsYiXig_fE21FaXNYolXiR4Uu9Sp&index=5 Thank you for watching please subscribe and share with everyone you know, I'm expecting like Mr Beast numbers here love youuuuu xxx
Every Dantes Inferno reference in Hoziers new album Unreal Unearth explained According to Alina 2023-09-10 | Our lord and saviour Hozier (or "forest daddy" as he is known to tiktok), just put out a new album and it happens to be heavily inspired by Dante's Inferno. And since I seem to be the target audience for this piece of work, I figured I'd film myself overthinking about it for 30 minutes straight. You're welcome. 00:00 intro00:54 Unreal Unearth background and inspiration3:10 De Selby part 14:55 First Time7:32 Francesca11:51 I carrion, (Icarian)12:22 Eat Your Young15:53 Damage Gets Done18:33 Who We Are19:26 Son of Nyx20:22 All Things End21:20 To Someone From a Warm Climate21:42 Butchered Tongue25:08 Anything But25:52 Abstract (Psychopomp)27:30 Unknown/Nth28:50 First Light29:50 Outro Since you're here, why not watch some of my other videosyoutube.com/watch?v=q6krVYT0Jo4 youtube.com/watch?v=uD4Op6IajAIyoutube.com/watch?v=Cg5Nx5dQFnA&t=86stags: hozier, unreal unearth, hosier, internet analysis, video essay, analysis video, shanspeare, jordan theresa, vox, vice, swell entertainment, uncarley, greenisnotnick, tiffany ferg, alice cappelle, thebookleo, music review, dante, inferno, divine comedy, booktok, booktube
Booktok has a big problem with consent According to Alina 2023-08-06 | If you're not familiar with the spicy book community on Booktok then you'll have no idea who Kierra Lewis is and why she has recently been criticized for her content targeting professional hockey players. Well, buckle up.Over the past week, Kierra has been in the spotlight because Alex Wennberg, a hockey player, and his wife Felicia, have spoken out against the way she sexualizes and objectifies Alex in her content. The situation has given rise to conversations about consent, a topic that isn't new to the Booktok community.p.s.I don't go into huge detail about all the things Kierra has been posting over the past week - if you want a play by play of the situation I suggest this video by @greenisnotnick youtube.com/watch?v=_PDppYs4Huc other creators I mention in this video:@uncarley youtube.com/watch?v=Rdp8hGD8F38&t=224syoutube.com/watch?v=FLwcmTgbyvc@KuncanDastner youtube.com/watch?v=oUt_pQhcbHY&t=37sThank you so much for watching and SUBSCRIBE!!!! (if you want to)tags: booktok, gen z, hockey romance, tiktok, cliterature, chronically online, social media, feminist philosophy, gender norms, misogyny, girlboss, social commentary, , internet analysis, video essay, analysis video, shanspeare, jordan theresa, vox, vice, swell entertainment, uncarley, greenisnotnick, tiffany ferg, alice cappelle, thebookleo#booktok #hockeyromance
The READING AESTHETIC is ruining literature (apparently) According to Alina 2023-03-18 | I read *that* GQ article and it left me thinking that maybe we should let women and girls do whatever they like every now and then. The discourse around the online book community is relatively vast, so there are things that I don't touch upon in this video - the impact on the publishing industry or the use of book influencers by publishing houses is one example - but feel free to sound off in the comments.Also, if you don't agree with my position on this that's absolutely fine. As they say in Italy il mondo è bello perché è vario. Anywaaay subscribe, see you later, excuse the abrupt ending, my battery died. Literally and figuratively. Other videos by me:youtube.com/watch?v=I6h0fQG0lKQ&t=7s youtube.com/watch?v=uj3k_LqFxdw&t=173syoutube.com/watch?v=xe1DX7iFG4M&t=755sThe two "aesthetics" videos I referred to:youtube.com/watch?v=31NDzvFtNnIyoutube.com/watch?v=dmMDikbHgTc&t=20sTiktokers I cited: michelletrachtenbergleighsteinquinthebooksChapters:00:01 Intro1:40 a brief history of the online book community5:10 criticism: consumerism and objectification of literature6:36 what is an aesthetic?7:27 dark academia7:59 reading as aesthetic9:10 the dangers11:12 the misogyny 15:16 leave women alone - and SUBSCRIBEEEEE#booktok #reading #commentary
