Így látják a könyves influenszerek a kötelező olvasmányokat

Abstract

Even though compulsory school reading plays an important role in fostering reader development,
the current canon is increasingly unable to engage students effectively. The required books
are often distant from students’ everyday experiences, both in terms of historical context and
language, while impressions of reading experiences are increasingly mediated by book influencers
active on social media. Those so-called “Bookternet” spaces provide pretty experience-oriented
content, whereas school-based reading can seem slower. As a result, tension emerges between
school expectations and students’ recreational reading interests and preferences, which may
ultimately lead to a decline in reading motivation. Reading patterns, recommendations, and
literary discussions in the digital sphere subtly yet significantly transform young people’s
relationship with literature. Therefore, examining the perspectives of these opinion leaders is
justified. The study examines Hungarian book influencers’ personal attitudes toward compulsory
reading assessments (N = 40), including their critiques and suggestions, based on semi-structured
interviews. The qualitative analysis identified three main clusters: a positive „rare exception”
reader type; a selective pattern; and a distinctly negative, rebellious attitude, complemented by a
so-called temporal rehabilitation motif. The reading promoters who participated in the interviews
unanimously advocate a more flexible system adapted to students’ interests and age-specific
characteristics: fewer classical works that should be introduced at a later age, more contemporary
young adult literature, greater freedom of choice, more conscious consideration of gender-related
aspects, and adaptation to the digital environment. As part of this paradigm shift, they propose
a motivation-centred, experience-based, age-specific, and choice-oriented selection of readings
instead of the rigid compulsory reading list.