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Not just reading the romance at: Adolescent girls’ reading Korean Manhwa
Citation
Loh, C. E., Nur Fitri Shazwini Rosli, & Maya Ziqing Krishnan. (2024). Not just reading the romance online: Adolescent girls’ reading Korean Manhwa. Changing English, 31(2), 117-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684x.2024.2305431
Abstract
Portable mobile technologies and high-speed access to the internet has led to the development of new online-first reading materials such as Korean Manhwa or webtoons, designed for quick consumption on mobile devices. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 11 adolescent girls aged 14 to 15 years old, this study examines why and how adolescents read Manhwa, especially romances. Findings show that these girls read for entertainment and to escape from reality. Strong visual aesthetics, relatable characters and engaging storylines, driven by technological infrastructures encouraging continual engagement, support these adolescents’ immersion in online storyworlds. Their engagement with these texts allowed the girls as readers to discover self as reader and person, negotiating multifaceted aspects of their working, moral and romantic lives as they envision present and future possibilities.
Date Issued
2024
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Journal
Changing English
DOI
10.1080/1358684x.2024.2305431
Dataset
https://doi.org/10.25340/R4/9YVCWY
Project
DEV-02-20 LCE
Funding Agency
Ministry of Education, Singapore