these social networks that make our teenagers read
Social networks are often seen as a threat to our children, but they are also powerful sources of learning. Sometimes our teenagers need a little click to discover new things that will inspire them and why not give them a real cultural click. So let’s not always see the bad side of social networks – they can encourage reading among our teenagers!
Léo is now in college, but Emil met Roy in high school. ” Great guy! encourages. Not that he really knows him… but he happily follows all the “reading problems” of this young Quebec YouTuber, to whom he owes his discovery of authors as heterogeneous as Ionesco, Nabokov… or Guy Debord! ” My parents’ face when I asked them to offer me the Société du play he laughs.
One book, one test!
It must be said that the parents in question were used to seeing him bent over the smartphone rather than the printed pages of the book. ” True, I was never interested in real literature, but I read manga “Says young Leo.” I don’t know why, but a big novel… it just didn’t feel right to me. “The Works of a French Bachelor? Not even in a dream… a summary was enough for him, like most of his births!
But he met this celebrity Emile (@EmileRoy), a young Quebec youtuber, through the YouTube algorithm… and it was immediately shut down. “ It made me want to try. I love his way of explaining, very objective, very honest. I started with Lolita and shined, then Ionesco’s Rhinoceros… » Direct language, not “intellectual” at all, reading presented as a game, a short video introducing a book every day, simple words and great passion : broke all barriers and fears for Léo, as for thousands of young people. The selection of works, eclectic, is also quite classic: great literature, above all!
plenty of romance
It’s less Wattpad is a literary platform that succeeds in connecting young people – including the vast majority of girls – essentially around “young adults” and an abundance of fantasy romances. ” But she’s reading… and I didn’t expect my daughter to start reading anymore. “, Lou’s mother encourages 15-year-old Laurence. When the latter boldly asked him to take her “ Cruel Prince », a fantasy trilogy by Holly Black… she had to sit through the shock! ” How do you know this book? And how long have you been studying? she exclaimed in disbelief. ” It’s been a long time, mom, on Wattpad – answered his daughter. ” And I complained about it being glued to his screen… if only I knew he was reading! »
Lou explains that he discovered the Wattpad network through someone else. Tik Tok… it’s surprisingly becoming a huge pool of budding readers (see box): “ A lot of girls there were talking about Wattpad, I wanted to see what it was, and since it was so easy and free, I immediately started reading the novel Eprise d’un mafieu… I loved the story, but also the truth. being able to give my impression, write notes, even talk to book authors… sometimes girls my age! “He says almost” fear books, he began to eat them. “ Now it doesn’t read on the screen at all! He wants to buy books, and when we go to bookstores, he checks them all over to make sure there are no scratched pages and no stains on the cover. »
Screen… when you take it to bookstores
An unexpected passion for the “object” of books, which Léo fully shares: on the advice of his mentor, he began to frequent small independent booksellers… and completely refuses to buy from big brands, much less online. ! He prefers to browse the shelves and flipping more real pages spinner » electronic book. ” It is more pleasant to read a real book, to make discoveries on the shelves. After Caligula, I wanted to read other plays by Camus, I bought “Misunderstanding”, I liked it. And while searching for other Russian authors after Nabokov, I came across Tarass Bulba! »
Revelation… and now Leo has finally set his challenge: Read all of Gogol… with no time limit! No time was counted for Lou, who continued to amaze his mother: ” He read for four hours straight last Saturday, totally engrossed in The Airman Saga… And when he saw me sitting next to him on the couch with my smartphone… he looked up. tone, if I didn’t have a book to read! »
Also read: Are audio books as good as reading real books for children and teenagers?
Teens’ Favorite Reading Influencers
Young people know each other 29% were influenced by the Internet while reading (source: CNL/Ipsos March 2022 survey of 7-25 year olds, “Young French and reading”). Their favorite influences:
– on Youtube :
A skilled passion transmitter, Emil Roy is a director, videographer and animator originally from Montreal. Just with the YouTube channel named after him ( @EmileRoy162,000 subscribers, almost 7 million views since its creation in 2016), it has managed to sanctify reading among young people and lead them to the “classics” without crossing the “young adult” box.
female side, Audrey Tribot24, with the YouTube channel “Le Souffle des Mots” (@lesouffledesmots), approaching one million subscribers and 8.5 million views since 2013.
– on TikTok :
phenomenon #BookTalk It appeared in December 2020. With over 80 billion views today, the enthusiasm around this hashtag and 13 million related videos, making it a true global “book club” open to all. Everyone can bring their own perspective to literature, and the youngest will not hesitate!
Sometimes with ways of experiencing literature that are their own as creators Elol Bolli showing off a look directly inspired by her favorite fantasy epic,” glass throne “. The more classic but very popular Valentine from @Entouteslettres account (15.8K subscribers) and Joan From the account @LecafédeJeanne (29.7K subscribers) both Annie Ernaux and Stefan Sweig talk about their literary passions with contagious enthusiasm, deciphering well-known masterpieces and innovations.
Videos are also very popular “Find the book” it is only an invitation to guess the title of the work from the first sentence of the beginning, the three images that describe the atmosphere, or the first names of the characters. Among the most popular genres within the French community #manga It takes pride of place with over 3.6 billion views and 732,756 videos, followed by the hashtag. #romance With 316.8 million views and 57,652 posts. The #funny is also liked and brings together 111.4 million views and 8,659 videos.
– On Instagram :
They are called “Bookstragramers” and there are tens of thousands of them. One of the most popular for several years (about 81,000 subscribers), 30 years old Lady’s bed (@mademoisellelit) also has a YouTube and TikTok channel. And among the (rare) boys, Jules from media founder @JulescommeCesar ” Pen », takes off: already more than 100,000 subscribers! His reading recommendations are accompanied by reflections on culture, ecology, sociology…
– On WhatsApp:
Founded in Toronto in 2006 and recently purchased by the South Korean giant Naver, the giant global social network Wattpad brings together today. More than 90 million readers – the vast majority of them are young readers (under 25)… and they’ve been gaining new users every second since the first arrest, according to the site! What attracts young people: full interactivity between readers and writers, some can express their opinion, others can change the plot according to these opinions… and each one starts writing in turn, then submits their writing for public approval. A new way of reading that appeals to traditional publishers and the film industry: global bestsellers, e.g after, was published and later adapted into a film. As a result, Wattpad created its own publishing house. Wattpad booksand their own studio, WattpadStudios.
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