In recent years, there have been growing concerns about reading motivation among adolescents and the influence of, for example, social media, AI, and the attention economy. This project investigates how today’s cultural context impacts how do adolescents connect to what they are reading. How do texts affect adolescents during reading and what remains over time? Do they mostly want to feel something when reading? Is it harder to sit with a story that makes you uncomfortable in a world where you can always and instantly choose something more interesting? With the fast pace of today’s life, do stories resonate differently?
Reading for Connection explores the ways in which adolescents connect affectively and critically to texts and seeks to conceptualize the characteristics of these connections within the current cultural logic. Building on reader-response, cultural, and social theory, the project aims to provide insights into the workings of everyday reading practices, modes of engagement, attachment, and resonance. This project will research these topics through a mixed methods approach, combining a broad-scale survey and in-depth qualitative studies.