Being Smart Is Officially Sexy Again, Enter the Era of the Literary It-Girl
From celebrity book clubs to TikToks on “becoming disgustingly educated,” the literary It-girl is turning intellect into the latest aesthetic.
After years of wellness-core, clean-girl aesthetics and hyper-visual desirability, intellect has entered the chat. Being smart is officially sexy again. But is this a genuine hunger for depth, or just another self-optimization project?
In the last year, there’s been a noticeable increase in content linked to “getting smarter,” like book clubs, cultural commentary and curated media diets designed to replace doomscrolling. Celebrities are leading the way, with Dua Lipa and Kaia Gerber hosting book clubs, Charli XCX and Troye Sivan launching Substacks and Emma Chamberlain’s podcast drifting into conversations on philosophy. Welcome to the era of the literary It-girl.
Dua Lipa’s cultural platform and book club, Service95, now boasts a devoted social following, with fans trawling bookstores to buy the monthly pick (the current recommendation is Night People by Mark Ronson). Through author interviews, reading guides and community discussion, Service95 has created a form of online connection that goes beyond purely social media visuals. Reading, considered solitary or even antisocial not long ago, has been reframed as a cool-girl activity. Selfies with books, reading on public transport or heading to a café specifically to read now feel mainstream in a way they didn’t just a few years ago.
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This shift isn’t limited to celebrities. Public figures like Rama Duwaji, the New York-based illustrator and wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have become unlikely style references, embodying a version of intellectual cool that’s artistic, political and deliberately unpolished. It’s less about aspirational luxury and more about having something to say.
From here, a kind of pseudo-intellectualism has emerged. On TikTok, trends like “going analogue,” “becoming disgustingly educated” and “the media I consume instead of doomscrolling” sit alongside New Year’s resolutions focused on mastering niche topics or building a personal curriculum. These formats show creators actively trying to avoid brain rot, documenting their attempts to reclaim focus in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape. One creator, Bella, shared in a video of her cultural predictions for 2026, that “being smart is sexy.” But does calling intellectualism a trend almost guarantee its expiration date?
@sedodiaries hi my swans it’s time to get disgustingly educated in 2026 🦢 #2026planning #feminineenergy ♬ Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major(1450264) – Yusuke
As we become more aware of the cognitive side effects of AI and constant scrolling, like shrinking attention spans and reliance on outsourced thinking, a low-level panic seems to be setting in. Long-form, written media is now being rebranded as a tool of resistance. Where Instagram once pushed hyper-polished aesthetics, feeds are now filling with something deeper to show off a unique point of view. But when all of this is so curated and documented, the question lingers: Is it genuine?
The literary It-girl isn’t just about books. She’s about signalling taste and insider knowledge in an era where aesthetics have been flattened and democratized. When everyone can dress well, thrift well and reference the same trends through globally accessible platforms, intellect becomes the next frontier of distinction. With AI doing the thinking for us, knowing how to think becomes elite. Context and references now function as cultural currency, harder to replicate and harder to fake.
@sumimrk media i’ve been consuming instead of doomscrolling!! aka my recent media favs @Mina Le @Life Academy The Podcast #fyp #filmtok #minale #agegaprelationship #hollywood #thoughtdaughter #twinpeaks #firewalkwithme #laurapalmer #davidlynch #lifeacademy #danceacademy #thesafekeep #whattowatch #yearning ♬ Swan Lake “dance of four swans” – Kohrogi
This is why everyone is suddenly “showing their work.” Outfit videos explain their runway references, books aren’t just read but unpacked on camera and bringing up the latest article you read instead of the video you watched has become a shorthand for “intelligence.” The flex is no longer just about having taste, but having the ability to contextualize it, too.
Somewhere along the way, the literary It-girl has evolved into the all-around intellectual It-girl. She doesn’t just read fiction; she follows political newsletters, curates media diets and prides herself on being “niche.” Obscure references and hyper-specific interests have become a way of proving you’re really not like other girls.
In a culture oversaturated with surface-level content, the turn toward reading and thinking even when it’s imperfect or aestheticized suggests a collective craving for depth. Whether this marks a renaissance of intellectualism or its dilution remains to be seen. But for now, being smart is hot, and we think that’s pretty cool.
