By Lisette Tyson
Young people aren’t flipping pages as much as they are holding covers.
For those who have been paying attention to online discourse, deep criticisms have surfaced over the “accessorisation” of reading, particularly by young men.
Almost like a mating call, holding a book is a silent signal to potential romantic interests symbolizing thoughtfulness, intelligence and uniqueness.
This contributes to a growing phenomenon of performativity among Gen Z, specifically performative men.
Defined as a young man who can be identified by his carrying of a tote bag, seen wandering the streets nursing an iced matcha all while wearing a half-buttoned-up linen top. The most recent addition – the individual must be seen reading in public.
If he’s following the rubric, feminist literature will earn him extra points.
Although Gen Z might be carrying more books, they aren’t so much flipping the pages.
According to a report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this past March, males aged 15-24 read the least out of all generations, with only 10.1 per cent reading on any given day.
At Glebe Markets and nearby bookstores, young people had a lot to say about reading, authenticity, and performative males.
“I do find it sexy if other people read, because it means people are thinking for themselves and forming their own opinions,” said Angel.
She’s not alone. Many interviewees shared that reading made someone more attractive.
“Yes, I would say that reading makes someone more attractive,” said April. “An educated mind is an educated spirit and soul.”
Still, not everyone was convinced of the gesture’s sincerity — or its value.
“I think men pretending to read is really humiliating and embarrassing,” April said. “If you’re sitting on King Street at a café pretending to read a book but not getting past the first two pages, I think you’re quite pathetic.”
Sophie echoed the sentiment but with more fluidity: “I don’t know. I think it’s not as bad as other things men have been pretending to do for the past hundreds of years. I don’t think it’s the worst thing — just embarrassing.”
Maliki said: “Yeah, I know some performative men, I know of them reading in public to attract women. It’s a bit weird, I think. People aren’t really authentic anymore, they just wear what’s cool, what’s on TikTok. People act cool. But no one is really cool.”
Featured images: A performative male competition (left) and Lisette Tyson interviewing at Glebe Markets. Photos: Based5290/CC/Wikimedia Commons, Lisette Tyson
