"Am I Cool for Reading?"... MZ's New Trend 'Text Hip' [Cheongchun Report]

'Text Hip' Neologism Emerges
Reading Rises as a Trendy Culture

Recently, a new term called 'Text Hip' has emerged among young people. It is a combination of the English word 'text,' meaning letters, and the Korean slang 'hiphada,' meaning trendy or cool, referring to the phenomenon of perceiving books and reading as trendy culture. As video content such as YouTube and Shorts floods the market, books, which highlight the charm of printed characters, seem to be gaining attention. Accordingly, on social networking services (SNS), posts certifying reading, such as '#Bookstagram' and '#Chaekstagram,' are continuously being uploaded.

Six out of ten adults read less than one book a year

[Image source=Getty Images Bank]

The background behind reading becoming a hip culture is influenced by the low adult reading rate. According to the '2023 National Reading Survey' announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last April, the annual paper book reading volume of Korean adults last year was only 1.7 books. The number of books purchased was 1.0 for paper books and 1.2 for e-books.

In particular, the comprehensive reading rate, which refers to the percentage of people who have read or listened to at least one general book, was only 43.0%. This is a 4.5 percentage point decrease compared to the previous survey in 2021, marking the lowest figure since the biennial reading survey began in 1994. The annual comprehensive reading rate for adults was as high as 86.8% when the survey was first conducted in 1994. However, since e-books were included in the statistics in 2013 (72.2%), the rate has been steadily declining, setting new record lows each time.

However, the reading rate among people in their 20s was 78.1%, the highest compared to all adult age groups. In the past, reading was considered a somewhat old-fashioned hobby. But as the reading culture, once enjoyed by only a few, became regarded as a hip activity among young people and a means to satisfy intellectual curiosity, interest in books among the younger generation appears to have increased.

'#Chaekstagram' and '#Bookstagram' posts continue to surge

[Image source=Instagram]

In this situation, posts related to Text Hip are also continuing on SNS. Searching for 'Chaekstagram' and 'Bookstagram' on Instagram yields approximately 6.13 million and 6.05 million posts, respectively. These users share their reading lives on SNS by posting photos of visiting independent bookstores, purchasing books, or transcribing passages. The act of certifying reading on SNS, which others can see, beyond just reading and recording for oneself, has now become a play culture for the MZ generation.

Among these, reading clubs that communicate through books are also popular. Representative examples include the offline reading club 'Trevari,' which has 5,000 members, and the publisher Minumsa's book club. Especially, Minumsa's book club, which operates on a paid membership basis, attracted 5,000 new members within a day of recruitment.

The popularity of 'Text Hip' seems to stem from a desire among generations tired of stimulating content like short-form videos to consume books with an analog sensibility. Mr. Oh (29), an office worker who read more than 30 books this year, said, "I felt my work concentration was dropping from watching only YouTube, so I deliberately read books after work." He added, "When I come across a good passage while reading, I underline it or take a photo and upload it on SNS. I want to share good passages with others, and sometimes the book reflects my situation, so I want to record and post it."

UK media also reports "Generation Z refocuses on paper books"

The 2024 Seoul International Book Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 30 is bustling with crowds. [Image source=Yonhap News]

This phenomenon is not limited to Korea. In February, the British media The Guardian reported in an article titled 'Reading is so sexy' that "Generation Z is refocusing on paper books." Hali Brown, co-founder of the popular TikTok account 'Books on the Bedside,' which specializes in Generation Z reading habits, explained, "Generation Z's reading scope is very broad, and literary novels, memoirs, translated novels, and classics are especially highly regarded."

In fact, last year in the UK, 669 million paper books were sold, setting a record high. According to Nielsen BookData, from the end of 2021 to the end of 2022, 80% of the books sold in the UK were preferred by Generation Z, and the number of visitors to UK libraries increased by as much as 71%.