Dark Academia, BookTok, and the Rise of Pretend Readers and Writers

We’ve all seen it. The cozy, curated bookshelf perfectly displayed in the background of an Instagram post. The morning coffee next to an antique-looking journal, pens neatly arranged, ready for creative genius. The aesthetic of “being a writer” has become so commonplace it’s practically a meme. And for a while, I fell for it. Hard. I thought I could just step into the mold of being a “dark academia” enthusiast, channel my inner mysterious intellectual, and instantly become a better writer.

And no, I didn’t just stop at buying a couple of vintage blazers or considering how many old books could fit into my perfectly styled bookshelf. Oh, no. I wanted more. I envisioned a life filled with vintage stationery, my writing desk cluttered with typewriters, antique books, and candles to match the vibe. I even fantasized about changing my wardrobe entirely to fit the look. Because, apparently, if you look like a writer, you are one, right?

But then something happened. I realized that I was more interested in creating the perfect aesthetic than in actually doing the thing I was supposedly passionate about. At some point, I paused, looked around, and asked myself, “When was the last time I actually sat down and wrote a story? And more importantly, when was the last time I ENJOYED the process?”

The answer? It had been way too long.

And here lies the problem: aesthetic can sometimes eclipse substance, especially in the realm of writing and reading. With social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok offering a constant stream of perfectly crafted book recommendations, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you curate the right images, use the right hashtags, or post the right “reading corner” content, you somehow become a reader or writer. It’s the illusion of accomplishment without the actual work.

Take, for example, the BookTok phenomenon. While the community has certainly brought attention to books in a way that’s fantastic for some authors, there’s a darker side to this trend that needs to be talked about. Many BookTokers proudly show off their massive book collections, talk about how they love reading, yet in some cases, by their own admission, they skim books with long descriptions and skip straight to the dialogue. They complain to their audience that the book in question calls them to, in fact, read. There’s no real engagement with the material, no deep dive into literary analysis. It’s just the act of being a reader that counts. These BookTokers have “the look” down to a science – their bookshelves are gorgeous, their reading glasses stylish, their curated bookshelf photos scream “book lover,” but when you actually look at their reading habits? It’s a different story.

I’ve had personal conversations with friends who have immaculate bookshelves, whose collections I envy and admire, only to hear them admit they struggle to read physical books now that they’re adults. Life, responsibilities, and other distractions get in the way, and the joy they once found in reading simply isn’t there anymore. One of my friends confessed that she hasn’t read as much as she used to, and when she does, it’s via audiobooks – which is totally valid, of course. But the fact that the aesthetic of her being a bookworm was so ingrained in my head that this fact surprised me goes

It’s not just the reading habits that have been impacted by social media culture – it’s the writing too. We’ve all heard people describe themselves as “writers,” and yet when it comes down to it, they’ve never actually written a word, or if they have, they treat it like a hobby to post about rather than a craft they genuinely invest in. They enjoy the idea of being a writer more than the act of writing itself. I was once there, chasing after the idea of being the writer, making sure my writing-related content looked good on my feed, all while avoiding the actual process of putting words on paper. Because, let’s face it, the aesthetic of being a writer is a lot more comfortable than the challenge of writing itself.

This leads me to my conclusion: the rise of pseudowriters and pseudoreaders is a direct result of the social media culture we find ourselves in. We can fall into the trap of curating an image of ourselves, of building a persona online that seems like we fit the mold of the artist or intellectual. But deep down, we might not even be engaging with the thing we claim to love. And honestly, there’s no shame in that. The shame comes when we let ourselves believe that looking like a writer or reader is enough to actually be one. It’s easy to get swept up in these trends and lose sight of the fact that writing isn’t about the clothes we wear or the books we pose with – it’s about the words we write and the stories we tell.

The real takeaway here is that it’s okay to step away from the aesthetic sometimes. It’s okay to redefine what being a writer or reader means for you. You don’t have to fit a certain mold or maintain a curated online persona. What matters is whether or not you are truly engaging with your craft, whether you’re reading because you love it, or writing because you want to. And if the aesthetic happens to come along with it? Great. But it shouldn’t be the reason you do what you do.

So, let’s focus less on how we look as writers and readers and more on whether we’re actually enjoying the process. Don’t be afraid to put down the fancy stationery and pick up the pen. If it’s not working, change your approach. But never, ever let the aesthetic of it all replace the substance.