There is a widespread notion that young people nowadays tend not to read physical books. but are obsessed with digital media. However, this idea has been challenged by the success of the 2024 Seoul International Book Fair, which welcomed about 150,000 visitors. The event recorded a 15.4 percent increase in the number of visitors from last year. This correlates with recent changes in how young people perceive reading, changes which may have contributed to the fair’s success. Young people today tend to view reading as more than a smart activity; they also see it as fashionable. Hence, this trend is termed “text hip” a term meant to indicate that books can be cool and fashionable.
Books function as a means of distinction and self-expression. Young readers express their individuality through the books they read rather than the smartphones they carry. They showcase their individuality while reading books in places where finding a reader would otherwise seem most unlikely. By transcribing and sharing memorable passages, readers further demonstrate their literary engagement and reinforce their self-expression. Social media plays a crucial role in this new reading culture, with users posting photos and videos of their reading activities. As a result, celebrities significantly contribute to this trend, by showcasing their book choices on social media.
Books are also used to build connections. Two common forms are book talks and book clubs. Book talks are structured events where authors are invited to speak about their writings, while book clubs are less centralized gatherings. Recently, younger readers have found book clubs interesting, and have organized novel online book clubs through social media. According to a survey conducted in 2023 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 40 percent of people participating in online book clubs were in their twenties.
Books, once apparently doomed to extinction by digital media, are now revitalized by it. Young people, the digitally immersed, are also passionate readers participating in book clubs and uploading “bookstagrams.” Through this “text hip” trend, traditional and contemporary media are seeking compromise. Although some followers of this trend collect books rather than read them, it may still encourage people to try reading more, and further engage with various forms of literature.
By Yun Hyun-ji, Reporter