Skip to main navigation Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to search
Skip to content
Hours & Location, opens an overlay Help Help, opens an overlay
Hours & LocationsHours & Locations, collapsed
See all locations
HelpHelp, collapsed
  • Ask Us
  • FAQs
  • Get a Library Card
  • About HCPL
  • Catalog and Account Guide
Admin AdminAdmin, collapsed
Log In / My HCPL
  • Log In / Register
  • My Library Dashboard
  • My Borrowing
  • Checked Out
  • On Hold
  • Borrowing History
  • Fees
  • ILL Requests
  • My Collections
  • For Later Shelf
  • Completed Shelf
  • In Progress Shelf
  • Lists
  • My Events
  • My Profile
  • My Settings
Harris County Public Library
Main navigation Events
Open search form
Search the
by
for
    Saved Searches Advanced Search

    Search

    by
    for
      Saved Searches Advanced Search
      • BrowseBrowse, collapsed

        Browse

        • Catalog
        • Overdrive/Libby
        • Explore hcpl.net

        BY AUDIENCE

        • Kids
        • Teens
        • Adults

        BY FORMAT

        • Books
        • eBooks
        • Audio
        • Movies & TV
        • Magazines & Newspapers

        RECOMMENDATIONS

        • Coming Soon
        • New Titles
        • Award Winners
        • Bestsellers
        • Explore

        MORE

        • About HCPL
        • Blog
        • Careers @ HCPL
        • Friends of the Library
        • Library Policies
        • Newsroom
        • Podcast
        • Suggest a Book
        • Volunteer
      • EventsEvents, collapsed

        Events

        • All Events
        • Monthly Calendar

        BY AUDIENCE

        • Kids
        • Teens
        • Adults

        FEATURED PROGRAMS

        • Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
        • Authorama
        • Book Buddies
        • Easter & Pesach
        • Growing Readers
        • Gulf Coast Reads
        • Summer Reading Program

        MORE

        • Books & Reading
        • Citizenship & English Learning
        • Computers & Technology
        • Maker & STEM
        • Story Time
      • ServicesServices, collapsed

        Services

        • Get a Card
        • My Account
        • My Account Help
        • Accessibility Request

        YOUR LIBRARY

        • Adaptive Resources
        • Ask Us
        • Copying & Printing
        • Elections & Government
        • ILL (Interlibrary Loan)
        • In the Community
        • LAWPods
        • Library for All
        • Meeting & Study Rooms
        • Passport Services
        • Tax Services
        • Veterans Resources

        EDUCATION

        • Adult Literacy
        • Career Online High School
        • Citizenship
        • College & Career
        • ESL (Learn English)
        • Growing Readers (children 0-5 years)
        • HCPL Connected
        • Homeschool & Educator Resources

        FOR READERS

        • Author Alerts
        • Author Talks
        • Book Bundles
        • Book Hunters
        • Gulf Coast Reads
        • Newsletters
        • Summer Reading

        MAKER & MORE

        • Maker Central
        • Digital Media Labs
        • Innovation Labs
        • Gardening Tools
      • Online ResourcesOnline Resources, collapsed

        Online Resources

        • Online Resources
        • A-Z Resources
        • By Format
        • Apps

        BY SUBJECT

        • Books, Literature & Reading
        • Business, Finance & Legal
        • Computers & Technology
        • Digital Media
        • DIY
        • Español
        • Genealogy & History
        • Government
        • Health
        • HCPL Digital Archive
        • Job & Career
        • Language Learning & ESL
        • Lifelong Learning
        • Newspapers, Magazines & Journals
        • Reference & Research
        • Religion, Philosophy & Social Sciences
        • Science & Nature
        • Texshare

      Explore HCPL.NETExplore HCPL.NET

      Our EXPLORE page is a deep dive into library content, from blogs, reading lists, and library news, to online resources, events, services, and so much more. If you think you know everything HCPL has to offer, you owe it to yourself to explore! Filter by content type, format, genre, topic, and age range.

      Our EXPLORE page is a deep dive into library content! From blogs, reading lists, and news, to online resources, events, services, and so much more. If you think you know everything HCPL has to offer, you owe it to yourself to explore hcpl.net! Filter by content type, format, age range, genre, topic and more!

      EXPLORE EXPLORE
      • HCPL Blogs
      • Sarahg
      12
      Nov 2023

      Categories

      • View all cards in Adults
      • View all cards in Books
      • View all cards in Computers & Technology
      • View all cards in Nonfiction
      • View all cards in Social Issues & Politics

      Similar Posts for You

      • Summer at the Library

        May 27, 2025

      • Interview with Space City Weather’s Eric Berger

        May 26, 2025

      • Xeriscaping Your Landscape

        May 25, 2025

      • Wax On, Wax Off: Four Decades of the Karate Kid

        May 23, 2025

      • Golems and Dybbuks and Estries, Oh My!

        May 22, 2025

      Tiktok: The Good, the Bad, and the Controversial

      by sarahgNovember 12, 2023

      Tiktok! Love it, hate it, distrust it, or addicted to it, as of 2023 Tiktok now has over 113.2 million users in the U.S. alone, opens a new window. You could say it’s popular! If I’m honest, I started this blog thinking it would be a simple piece about #Booktok, but the more I researched, the more I learned how controversial this app is. For anyone else who has been living under a rock, Tiktok is a social media application that allows users to post short videos, or content, for entertainment or informational purposes. It started out as an app where people could lip-sync to popular songs, but it has become a force for spreading information as well as misinformation, opens a new window. (Just do this librarian a favor and fact check, okay you guys??) 

      Tiktok’s addictive algorithm and easy method of sharing information has allowed users to affect many aspects of society, from politics to influencer and celebrity culture. Libraries, home of book pushers and book lovers alike, are no exception!

      So how is Tiktok affecting libraries and readers? Do you want the good news or bad news first? Oops, you don’t have a choice and I’m a glass half empty kinda gal so we’re gonna start with... 

      The Bad

      As mentioned before, social media has had a big impact on how information is shared and spread, which in turn has had a big impact on very important issues, like elections. Tiktok has been criticized for having too much influence. 

      Because some believe that TikTok is a national security risk, questionable data collection practices, and other technology-related concerns, Tiktok has been banned from some state and local government devices, which means the app is effectively banned from many public universities., opens a new window  

      The state of Montana is trying to ban the app altogether, opens a new window, a law that seems basically unenforceable, opens a new window. Depending on how you look at it, these laws are either “limiting a security risk” from a foreign-owned company, opens a new window, and protecting individuals from propaganda, or it is an example of U.S. government overreach, and an attempt to control how people consume media. 

      Similarly, many states are suing social media companies like Meta (formerly Facebook), fearing for children’s safety, and seeking to both protect kids from potential online predators and to safeguard their mental health, opens a new window. Some places are trying to impose limits on the time minors can actively use social media apps each day. 

      The Controversial

      It is perhaps an understatement to say that Tiktok has a lot of sway over public opinion. Tiktok has had a very large impact on the way that people find books to read. One way that Tiktok users have found to promote books is by creating #booktok, opens a new window and other book-related hashtags that specifically promote books. These types of hashtags have been in use across all social platforms (#bookstagram anyone?) but Tiktok has an especially strong impact on what’s become popular in the last couple of years. Videos with the #booktok have been viewed over 91 billion times. Tiktok is known for popularizing books by authors like Colleen Hoover,, opens a new window the romance writing phenomenon that has rocketed to the tops of bestseller lists.  

      According to the New York Times, Bytedance, the company that owns Tiktok, has seen the influence that it has on creating bestsellers and is trying to open it’s own publishing company, opens a new window. This is a very savvy but definitely controversial move, as Bytedance has a marketing tool that would wield a lot of power over the popularity of the books that it publishes. Bytedance could use the power that Tiktok has to promote its own books over other publishers' products. Tiktok could become a self-contained place for people to discover, purchase, talk about, and share books.  

      The publishing industry, opens a new window has never been known to be particularly diverse or inclusive and could probably use a shake up. Part of Bytedance’s plan for its publishing company is a bookselling app, like Kindle, which means Bytedance would have to compete with Amazon, opens a new window. A little friendly competition couldn’t hurt!

      Don’t forget that the library has its very own *free* app for downloading books called Libby!, opens a new window

      The Good!

      Okay, okay, but where is the good news??  

      Tiktok is really great at promoting books, and you know that all of us at the library love that! We really, really love it when people are excited about reading. In turn, libraries use Tiktok to promote reading and library services as well, expanding library outreach to younger readers, and hopefully helping libraries to stay relevant. And y’all may not have guessed it, but librarians are funny!  

      The most watched video, opens a new window on Harris County Public Library’s, opens a new window Tiktok features large type books.

      Even former U.S. president Barack Obama was in one of our videos, opens a new window! 

      Readers can find book recommendations using hashtags such as #beachread, opens a new window or #bookrec, opens a new window 

      Check out these hashtags on Instagram to see more! #LibrariansOfTikTok, opens a new window  #LibraryTikTok, opens a new window #librarytok, opens a new window 

      What are your feelings about Tiktok? Tell us in the comments! 

      Books About Tiktok

      TikTok

      Making TikTok Videos

      As Cooked on TikTok

      Make A TikTok Every Day

      The Power of Social Media

      Books Made Popular By Tiktok

      They Both Die at the End

      It Ends With Us

      The Song of Achilles

      Red, White & Royal Blue

      A Court of Thorns and Roses

      Mexican Gothic

      I Have Some Questions for You

      Twisted Love

      Related content

      Add a comment

      More by sarahg

      Giving Back During the Season of Giving

      • Adults
      • Teens
      • Nonfiction
      • How Do I...?
      • Mind, Body & Spirituality

      Doth His Shadow Burden Your Dreams with Horrible Fears?

      • Adults
      • Horror
      • Arts & Entertainment

      In Space No One Can Hear You Scream

      Discover New Posts

      Summer at the Library

      • Adults
      • Kids
      • Teens
      • Tweens
      • Summer

      Space City Weather - THE INTERVIEW

      • Adults

      Xeriscaping Your Landscape

      • Adults
      • Nonfiction
      • Home & Garden
      • How Do I...?

      Add a comment to: Tiktok: The Good, the Bad, and the Controversial

      We welcome your respectful and on-topic comments and questions in this limited public forum. To find out more, please see Appropriate Use When Posting Content. Community-contributed content represents the views of the user, not those of Harris County Public Library

      Footer Menu

      More Services

      • Author Alerts
      • Catalog & Account Help
      • Suggest a Book
      • Digital Access
      • HCPL Connected
      • Maker
      • Military Library Card
      • Podcast
      • Request a Book Bundle

      FAQs

      • My Account
      • Borrowing
      • Collections
      • Copying & Printing
      • Special Equipment

      Resources

      • Digital Media
      • Reference & Research
      • Business, Finance & Legal
      • Science & Nature
      • Lifelong Learning

      About Us

      • About HCPL
      • Locations & Hours
      • Holiday Closures
      • Blogs
      • Careers
      • Get Involved
      • LibraryForAll

      Contact the Library

      Harris County Public Library
      5749 S Loop E Hwy
      Houston, TX 77033
      (713) 274-6600
      Contact Us

      Contact the Library

      Harris County Public Library
      5749 S Loop E Hwy
      Houston, TX 77033
      (713) 274-6600
      Contact Us
      Support Library , opens a new window
      Terms of Use, opens a new window Privacy Statement, opens a new window Accessibility Statement, opens a new window © 2025 Harris County Public Library

      Powered by BiblioCommons.

      BiblioWeb: webapp07 Version 4.27.0 Last updated 2025/05/27 09:40

      Back to Top