i really dont care if it is or not like its the most harmless thing ever, people are doing much worse in public. lol

Performative? Maybe, if they look like an inauthentic bookworm/nerd fishing for validation, I might give them a quick side eye just to mess with them a little.

Either way, they can do whatever they want just as long as if they get hit by a car while reading, I'm gonna keep it moving.

Edited August 24Aug 24 by aesthetic bih

If they're hot its ok

No and people should stop taking pics of people doing something as simple as reading 💀

Only to people who don't read

It isn't intrinsically but at the same time all performative people do it.

Sounds like you need to be reading more if you find issue with this.

This was already a hit thread in the past and the title was better "Is reading in public pretentious?"

On 8/24/2026 at 1:32 PM, Pendulum said:

if you know you know

15 hours ago, AvadaKedavra said:

How can not many remember this ATRL reference?

How did no one post a pic of Grimes "reading" the communist manifesto or LeBron "reading" Malcolm X's autobiography

ATRL user bajaboy and Lebron being the two biggest reasons for reading being seen as performative and our current literacy crisis...

Depends on where and how. The specific archetype of that dreamy special snowflake girl who buries her nose in a book is so annoying and fake and very transparent when someone is trying extra hard to be known for it.

reading is performative, Iʻve heard it all...

No, unless it's something like this: