Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Academics who specialise in reading, literacy and literature analysis often refer to the crises they observe with regard to children reading less often, being less interested in "the classics", and becoming less proficient in various reading tasks. But is the situation as hopeless as it seems? One reason why Sonali Kulkarni became interested in researching the practice of rereading in digital contexts and BookTok was the fact that various digital phenomena demonstrate that young people do read books, but with a particular focus on novel genres and algorithmically-driven, neoliberal practices. Following her research into BookTok, Kulkarni's PhD research now focuses on broader practices at the interface of literature, young people, platforms and reading. According to Kulkarni, particularly the act of rereading gets new meaning in platformed environments, as algorithms and commerce encourage young people to both reconsume older content — either because of nostalgia or because of novel adaptations by tech corporations like Amazon — and to buy and read as many new books as possible.
Academics who specialise in reading, literacy and literature analysis often refer to the crises they observe with regard to children reading less often, being less interested in "the classics", and becoming less proficient in various reading tasks. But is the situation as hopeless as it seems? One reason why Sonali Kulkarni became interested in researching the practice of rereading in digital contexts and BookTok was the fact that various digital phenomena demonstrate that young people do read books, but with a particular focus on novel genres and algorithmically-driven, neoliberal practices. Following her research into BookTok, Kulkarni's PhD research now focuses on broader practices at the interface of literature, young people, platforms and reading. According to Kulkarni, particularly the act of rereading gets new meaning in platformed environments, as algorithms and commerce encourage young people to both reconsume older content — either because of nostalgia or because of novel adaptations by tech corporations like Amazon — and to buy and read as many new books as possible.
