"Han So-hee and Jang Wonyoung Read It"… Gen Z Falling for the 'Text Hip' That Sells Out Daily [Dito Society]

⑧ "Reading = Cool" Z Generation Driving Book Reading Volume
Interest in Books Through Celebrity Mentions and SNS Recommendations

Editor's NoteThe Seoul National University Consumer Trend Analysis Center has identified 'Ditto consumption' as one of the top 10 keywords for 2024. 'Ditto' is a Latin term meaning 'the same,' and Ditto consumption refers to the tendency to follow celebrities' tastes and trends exactly when purchasing products or consuming content. This article analyzes the blind 'Ditto' phenomena in Korean society, such as the lowering age of luxury consumption and the increasing trend of trend-chasing investments.

Ditto is causing a surprising stir in the publishing industry. Books recommended by celebrities are climbing bestseller lists or going out of print, and among Generation Z (those born in the late 1990s to early 2000s), a culture of sharing books they have read and their reviews on social media platforms is spreading.

Schopenhauer to Read at Forty (Kang Yong-su, Yuno Books) is a book widely read by Generation Z following the recommendation of Jang Won-young, a member of the girl group IVE. After actor Ha Seok-jin quoted the book on a variety show late last year, and in May this year Jang Won-young said on a YouTube broadcast, "People read it at forty, but I wanted to read it at twenty. Schopenhauer is so pessimistic that it brings comfort," sales surged. This book ranked first in sales at Kyobo Bookstore in the first half of this year (Kyobo Bookstore 2024 First Half Year Review) and as of the 2nd of this month, it is ranked sixth in the weekly humanities book category.

Choi Hee-jin (28), who purchased the Schopenhauer book following Jang Won-young's recommendation, said, "I had a prejudice that philosophy books would be difficult, so I hesitated to read it, but after watching Jang Won-young's video on YouTube, I bought it. Schopenhauer says it's wrong to think only you have a hard life, and that living is inherently painful. This pessimistic philosophy gave me comfort."

The Book of Anxiety (Fernando Pessoa, Bomnal Books) also became a bestseller thanks to the influence of a prominent figure among the younger generation. Although it was published in Korea 10 years ago and is an 800-page so-called 'brick book' (a thick and difficult-to-read book), it did not attract much attention from Generation Z until actress Han So-hee mentioned it in an interview last year. The book went out of print but has since been reprinted. The Book of Anxiety held the number one bestseller spot on Yes24 for four consecutive weeks from the third week of November to the first week of December last year.

In the interview, Han So-hee said, "Recently, I have been fascinated by the question 'What is emotion?' and have been reading books dealing with emotions like The Book of Anxiety. Anxiety is a very thin paper, so we must diligently clear today's anxiety today and tomorrow's anxiety tomorrow so that it does not accumulate."

As a result of searching 'Little Life' on YouTube, readers are sharing their reviews of Little Life in short-form videos.
[Image captured from YouTube]

There are also books that went unnoticed at the time of publication eight years ago but gained late popularity through social media. The novel Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara, Sigongsa), which tells the story of lawyer Jude who carries trauma from horrific abuse and violence in childhood, was published domestically in 2016 but recently gained popularity on social media, suddenly reaching number one on Kyobo Bookstore's bestseller list for the first and second weeks of June this year. Readers shared videos on TikTok and other social media platforms showing themselves crying while reading the book and discussing their impressions, which drew attention and increased sales. One domestic video introducing this book by translating overseas TikTok videos has reached over 8 million views.

The culture of sharing reading experiences on social media has already become a trend among Generation Z. This is known as 'Text hip,' meaning 'reading is cool.' Generation Z participates in book clubs and reading sessions to read books together and share reviews. On social media, hashtags like #Bookstagram, #Chaekstagram, and #CompleteReading are widely used to certify reading.

Thanks to this trend, although the overall adult reading rate in Korea has been declining every year, the reading rate among people in their 20s is the highest among all age groups. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's '2023 National Reading Survey,' the comprehensive reading rate for people in their 20s (ages 19?29) last year was 74.5%, compared to 68.0% for those in their 30s, 47.9% for their 40s, 36.9% for their 50s, and 15.7% for seniors aged 60 and above. The overall adult average was only 43.0%, meaning about six out of ten adults did not read a single book in a year.