Generation Read: Redefining the Value of Reading Through Trends and Connectivity

The notion that autumn is the best season for reading has lost its meaning, as books have drifted away from people’s lives. According to the “2023 National Reading Survey (NRS)” conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the biannual comprehensive reading rate of adults has fallen to 43.0 percent, a 4.5 percent decrease compared to the 2021 survey. This decline has raised concerns about the stability of the book market in Korea. However, an extraordinary paradox has emerged: a so-called “reading craze” among young people in their 20s. The 2023 NRS reading rate among those in their 20s was 74.5 percent, even as the overall adult reading rate fell to its lowest point since the first survey was conducted in 1994. In this article, the Chonnam Tribune explores whether this paradoxical phenomenon—a reading craze in an era without books—is merely a temporary trend or a new cultural hope for our society, examining the changing reading habits of younger generations and structural transformations occurring in the publishing market. 

The Rise of Reading Trends

The reading craze among younger generations is rooted in the book’s role as a “hip” item for self-expression. This trend, originally called “text hip,” allows individuals to showcase their personal taste and identities through the consumption and display of books. By posting book-related content on social media, young people reveal their unique sense of style and personality. This has evolved into “writing hip,” an analog practice that involves transcribing personal reflections for deeper satisfaction. It offers an immersive and meaningful experience for young people who are tired of the digital world, allowing them to find harmless pleasure and emotional comfort through analog tranｓｃｒｉｐｔion. The enthusiasm generated by text and writing hip has directly fueled explosive growth in related markets. A representative example is “chaekkku,” a popular book-decorating trend. With the rise of reading and tranｓｃｒｉｐｔion activities, decorating books with covers and bookmarks, as well as using fountain pens for tranｓｃｒｉｐｔion, have become mainstream in reading culture. For instance, 29CM, a fashion and lifestyle platform, reported that transactions for tranｓｃｒｉｐｔion-related stationery increased by more than 75 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

This is also evident through various book-related events and fairs. The “Reading ACC” event was held at the National Asian Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju from Sept. 26 to 28. With the theme “A Book-Filled Day,” the event featured book markets from independent bookstores, local market booths, and author book talk sessions. At each booth, visitors purchased a variety of books and stationery-related goods, such as book perfumes and postcards, as well as decorations, including covers and bookmarks. Choi Eun-seo, a visitor in her twenties, noted that the event’s highlights ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅd bookstore owners’ personalized passion and the high-value, attractive free souvenirs available.

Text hip has not limited itself to paper books (p-books). The proportion of people in their 20s using e-books as a reading medium was 58.3 percent, a significantly higher figure compared to other age groups, according to the 2023 NRS. This indicates that young generations utilize the flexibility of electronic books (e-books) as a convenient complement to p-books. “There are spatiotemporal constraints when reading p-books. This is why I use an e-book subｓｃｒｉｐｔion to read without being limited by time or place,” said Park Ye-seul, a 21-year-old college student. 

Expansion in Reading

Young people are also expanding literary domains through interaction, blending online and offline community cultures. The growth of reading communities is particularly strong on social media, directly influencing book selection and other reading-based activities. Among them, TikTok’s “BookTok” is a community where readers share short-form content, including reviews and evaluations of diverse books. These communities are not limited to TikTok; other platforms host similar reading groups. Users post content such as book reviews, recommendations, and tranｓｃｒｉｐｔions, which spreads widely across social networks and significantly boosts book sales. 

Furthermore, interactions among readers can take the form of “exchange readings.” It has become a new way for young generations, who are accustomed to digital environments, to engage in book-related communications by sharing notes or reflections in the margins. This process offers them the joy of interaction and a sense of shared empathy.

Interest sparked by digital platforms often fosters offline connections among people. Book clubs are among the most common examples of these connections, including “You See, Urban C-” (UCUC) a discussion group at the CNU School of Architecture. Yim Da-bin (Fourth Year, School of Architecture), a member of UCUC, explained the power of discourse, “Discussing books with club members helps me understand the content much better and remember it longer. Also, perspectives different from my own enrich the reading experience.” She noted that participation in book club activities helps prevent people from abandoning reading and encourages members to complete more challenging books, such as those related to their majors.

Independent bookstores serve as physical anchors for such reading communities, providing spaces for intellectual exchange. “Independent bookstores can be ideal venues for book clubs. We can offer a suitable space for ongoing communication over time,” said Kim Mi-soon, owner of the Dongmyeong Bookshop. When the owner’s curated selection aligns with a group’s preferences, members can browse and choose books before or after meetings. This gives independent bookstores an advantage over large chain bookstores, resonating with young readers’ desire to discover their own taste in their own communities. She also mentioned that the number of young customers visiting the bookstore after seeing posts about it on social media has increased. 

Community Reading amid Market Changes 

However, the income generated from p-book sales is often insufficient to maintain independent bookstores, revealing structural problems within the publishing industry. According to Chang Woo-kwon (Professor, Dept. of Library and Information Science), despite the increasing young reading rate among young people, there is an ongoing publishing recession stemming from two key problems: the lack of public copyright awareness and the changes in distribution structure caused by digitalization. He stated, “Indifference to intellectual property rights is the root of the publishing market’s contraction. People need to think about the author’s perspective and act accordingly.” After the pandemic, online book purchases surged, and bookstores were largely divided into online and offline vendors. A system that helps maintain balance is the Fixed Book Price System (FBPS). With the implementation of the FBPS, online discounts are capped at 10 percent. FBPS fosters an essential virtuous cycle: ensuring independent bookstores maintain a modest competitive edge, preserving them as a cultural foundation, attracting young readers and expanding literary discourse. Prof. Chang also encouraged readers to combine the benefits of both browsing at offline bookstores and checking online bookstores’ AI recommendations to find the best books for them at the best prices. 

The power to turn the current reading craze into a sustainable culture lies in communal reading. Prof. Chang proposed the idea of “festivalization” as a model for sustainable reading, highlighting “Gwangju and Jeonnam Read and Talk (GJRT)” as a successful example of collaboration between the CNU library and the local community. The GJRT annually selects a Book of the Year and hosts programs to effectively lead the community in group reading and intellectual exchange.

Also essential to the promotion of sustainable reading are institutional efforts to transform the learning environment itself — from passive repositories into active “knowledge guides.” Prof. Chang pointed out that digital reading has evolved from passive acts into diverse practices such as listening, speaking, and creation, requiring libraries to actively curate resources that help readers leverage the strengths of both online and offline worlds. This ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅs utilizing online tools like AI-based recommendations while simultaneously providing tangible browsing experiences. This strategy goes beyond collaborative programs like GJRT, offering the systematic modern ecosystem needed to turn the current reading craze into a permanent part of the cultural landscape.

Building a Culture of Lifelong Reading

The current youth reading boom represents a powerful redefinition of reading, reaffirming the value of books as sources of intellectual exchange and personal comfort. Structural and social support are essential for these promising trends to endure and be successfully shared across all age groups, not only among the young. Beyond structural policies, the focus should shift toward community-based literacy and participation. The goal of collective reading is to create spaces where community members can share “joy and sorrow” and exchange ideas freely. By actively promoting communal reading initiatives, short-lived trends can be transformed into lasting cultural forces. Only through these new generations of collective efforts can people effectively cultivate future intellectual talent and ensure the overall development of intellectually engaged communities.

By Choi Ji-yoon, Editor