The term anti-intellectualism has taken to TikTok and the book community has begun to put out videos on the subject, either in support of the idea or in opposition.

Celine aka bookishwithb fueled the controversy that is taking over for you pages with her initial video that showcased how books like “The Poppy War” were being reduced to simplistic tropes that didn’t reflect the book as a whole.

Raya showcases the argument in this video with an example of both sides.

DISCLAIMER: Raya’s viewpoint on the topic, the level of analysis that social media can provide, and use of words such as “amateurs” and “professionals” does not reflect the views of Third Wheel Publishing. While we do not intend to vilify any creators, we want to present it in a way that addresses the inaccurate and harmful viewpoints that have been used to create a hostile environment among the booktok community from both sides.

Because of this, creators and readers have popped on the app to put in their two cents which has, in turn, divided the community into people who believe there is a literary hierarchy that should be followed and those who think that people should be allowed to enjoy and describe books without being held to absurd literary standards.

Because of these videos, creators on both sides of the argument have been receiving harsh responses, some even going as far as telling them to kill themselves, and the mood of booktok has become even more fragmented in light of the ongoing issues with scams and inappropriate behavior.

We aren’t here to judge anyone for what they read. We just want to bring light to an idea that is becoming increasingly popular and will likely play a role in content moving forward.

What is anti-intellectualism?

According to Merriam-Webster, anti-intellectualism is the opposition or hostility to intellectuals or to an intellectual view or approach.

In the scope of the book community, this would look like attacking someone because of their intellectual view of a book.

The current argument revolves around the idea that the rise in anti-intellectualism is because content creators are putting out videos that summarize the entirety of a book into only its trope, leaving out vital information that could influence someone’s decision on whether to read it or not.

Celine had previously noted that a particular video was promoting “The Poppy War” as a book about a strong female protagonist, leaving out information that is important to share.

She was attacked because of her viewpoint but other creators such as Nicole McKeon have stepped up to remind her that books can be enjoyed for a singular trope, that people don’t have to deeply analyze every book they read, and that the publishing industry won’t be destroyed because of people enjoying tropes.

Is anti-intellectualism an issue?

As with everything, there is a point where it can become a problem.

It becomes an issue when people begin to tear others down because they bring to light, in a respectful way, an issue that they believe should be addressed and are then attacked because of it.

Some of the comments on the videos from both sides are biased and while they often agree with the creator whose video they are commenting on, they don’t mince words of what they think about the other side.

One user even went so far as to comment that “booktok now is just prn addicted millenials“.

Another user says “People are doing this to 1. Heighten the barrier of entry to their hobby because their self worth is tied to it 2. Make young women feel bad about the things they enjoy.”

When people have open discussions respectfully, anti-intellectualism isn’t a problem because it is a conversation rather than a witch hunt.

While anti-intellectualism has always existed, social media has put it in the front seat because the drama it creates drives up views and keeps people on the platform longer than they normally would be.

How do we solve anti-intellectualism?

We don’t.

If you want the truth, we can’t force everyone to be kind and engage in a respectful discourse.

What we can do though is try our best to listen to other people’s views and, instead of lashing out when we don’t agree, make a conversation out of it.

We don’t need to attack people to get clout. We should be working to create an open dialogue among each other, especially in a community that values words so much.

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Take this as your sign to be kind and try to understand where someone else is coming from. You might not agree with them but there’s no reason to be rude. You likely aren’t going to sway their opinion with hostility.