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Adolescent Usage of Wattpad: Reading Habit or Digital Addiction?

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Title: Adolescent Usage of Wattpad: Reading Habit or Digital Addiction?
Language: English
Authors: Berker Kurt (ORCID 0000-0003-4788-0909), Ümit Yildiz (ORCID 0000-0003-0415-8051), Basak Eda Hanci-Azizoglu, Ersen Vural, Hüseyin Kafes (ORCID 0000-0002-0697-8312)
Source: Psychology in the Schools. 2025 62(9):2999-3018.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Adolescents, Reading Habits, Handheld Devices, Electronic Publishing, Computer Oriented Programs, Addictive Behavior, Use Studies, Technology Uses in Education, Electronic Books
DOI: 10.1002/pits.23518
ISSN: 0033-3085
1520-6807
Abstract: One of the gifts of the Digital Age in the field of literacy is Wattpad, a digital social reading application. The Wattpad platform is the world's largest reading network, with millions of users and diverse content. Within this context of significance and relevance, this study aims to reveal the interactions of adolescents using Wattpad, their reading habits, and their digital addiction, as well as to make relational comparisons among these factors. Data for the study were collected from 379 adolescents using a quantitative survey design, employing three instruments: the Wattpad Usage Questionnaire, the Reading Habit Inventory, and the Digital Addiction Scale. The quantitative analysis of the findings indicates that adolescents exhibit varying levels of reading habits and digital addiction. A low-level negative correlation between reading habits and digital addiction was identified, suggesting that as reading habits increase, digital addiction tends to decrease. Notably, the most significant result of this study is that social interaction with peers, rather than reading habits or digital usage, is the primary factor influencing adolescents' Wattpad use. Moreover, it appears that Wattpad use has not yet been fully embraced by formal educational institutions. This study enhances our understanding of adolescents' use of Wattpad and offers pedagogical insights for stakeholders, along with significant implications for future research. The implications of this study extend beyond academic circles, calling for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaboratively foster environments that support healthy digital reading practices, thereby promoting balanced literacy development among adolescents.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479848
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0187257393;pis01sep.25;2025Aug14.01:14;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0187257393-1">Adolescent Usage of Wattpad: Reading Habit or Digital Addiction? </title> <p>One of the gifts of the Digital Age in the field of literacy is Wattpad, a digital social reading application. The Wattpad platform is the world's largest reading network, with millions of users and diverse content. Within this context of significance and relevance, this study aims to reveal the interactions of adolescents using Wattpad, their reading habits, and their digital addiction, as well as to make relational comparisons among these factors. Data for the study were collected from 379 adolescents using a quantitative survey design, employing three instruments: the Wattpad Usage Questionnaire, the Reading Habit Inventory, and the Digital Addiction Scale. The quantitative analysis of the findings indicates that adolescents exhibit varying levels of reading habits and digital addiction. A low‐level negative correlation between reading habits and digital addiction was identified, suggesting that as reading habits increase, digital addiction tends to decrease. Notably, the most significant result of this study is that social interaction with peers, rather than reading habits or digital usage, is the primary factor influencing adolescents' Wattpad use. Moreover, it appears that Wattpad use has not yet been fully embraced by formal educational institutions. This study enhances our understanding of adolescents' use of Wattpad and offers pedagogical insights for stakeholders, along with significant implications for future research. The implications of this study extend beyond academic circles, calling for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaboratively foster environments that support healthy digital reading practices, thereby promoting balanced literacy development among adolescents.</p> <p>Summary: Educators and parents should encourage structured peer discussions around popular Wattpad content to improve literacy and foster critical thinking, using the platform's social aspect as a learning tool.To reduce digital addiction, practitioners should advocate for balanced reading practices that combine traditional texts with digital texts, providing guidelines for healthy digital consumption among adolescents.Schools should consider including Wattpad in their curricula by assigning critical analyses or creative writing tasks based on its content, recognizing digital reading as a valuable educational resource.</p> <p>Keywords: adolescents; digital addiction; digital social reading; reading habits; Wattpad</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-2">Introduction</hd> <p>The relationship between adolescents and digital technology, along with its impact, can be clearly observed through the nomenclature attributed to this generation. Today's adolescents are defined by a variety of terms, including "Ngen" (Net Generation), "Dgen" (Digital Generation), "Digital Native" (Prensky [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref1">73</reflink>]), "Generation D" (Vaghela [<reflink idref="bib99" id="ref2">99</reflink>]), "Post‐Millennial," "iGen" (Internet Generation), and "Dotcom Generation" (Hugo and Bachisi [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref3">40</reflink>]). These labels reflect how they have engaged with the digital opportunities available to them from an early age, first passively and later actively, often without requiring significant effort. Digital cameras, video games, online content, and mobile devices have evolved alongside this generation. Furthermore, the connection between time and technology is evident not only for adolescents but also for humanity as a whole, as this era is commonly referred to as the "Digital Age."</p> <p>The Digital Age offers individuals new fields, tools, and platforms for reading and writing, similar to its impact in various other domains (Leu et al. [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref4">48</reflink>]). Among these offerings are various digital reading platforms and applications, such as Annotator, Dropbox, eComma, eMargin, Google, Hypothesis, MS Word, NB, Perusall, Piazza, Pressbooks, Readup, Scribd (Egbert and Shahrokni [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref5">26</reflink>]); Goodreads; LovelyBooks (Rebora et al. [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref6">76</reflink>]); Litsy; BookSloth; the StoryGraph; Bookstagram; BookTok (The Bookish Elf. [<reflink idref="bib95" id="ref7">95</reflink>]). What distinguishes Wattpad are the unique features it offers to its users. Tazijan et al. ([<reflink idref="bib94" id="ref8">94</reflink>]) underscore that this platform provides a variety of services, including offline reading, inline comments, mobile writing, broadcasting messages, quoting art, voting, inserting multimedia, making recommendations, and publishing stories for profit.</p> <p>The Wattpad platform serves as a focal point for technology's undeniable influence on the emergence of new fields such as "cyber literature," "digital reading," "social reading," and "new literacy." Since its launch in 2007, Wattpad has established itself as an interactive literacy application and rapidly expanded its user base. Indeed, as stated by the platform itself, Wattpad has a target audience of 97 million monthly followers, with an average of 60 min of engagement per day and a total of 23 billion minutes spent each month. Notably, more than 80% of these followers are Generation Z (Wattpad [<reflink idref="bib101" id="ref9">101</reflink>]).</p> <p>The Wattpad platform provides extensive services to its users, featuring 30 million collections of short stories, novels, and poems (Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref10">70</reflink>]). It has become one of the leading digital platforms, yielding an astonishing 98.000.000+ hits on Google inquiries, while Google Scholar shows over 10,700 results. To further illustrate this point, a comparison with the U.S. Library of Congress—one of the largest libraries in the world—highlights the vast scale of Wattpad's offerings. The library houses approximately 39 million cataloged books and unclassified prints, along with more than 72 million manuscripts accumulated over more than 200 years (Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref11">70</reflink>]).</p> <p>Since its initiation, Wattpad has evolved from a literacy platform into a multimedia resource and transmedia tool, focusing on the publication of digital works in print, film adaptations, and the development of video games and gamification applications (Twarog [<reflink idref="bib97" id="ref12">97</reflink>]). Reflecting this evolution, the platform was renamed as "Wattpad Studios" in 2022 (Pozzoni [<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref13">72</reflink>]). Furthermore, it has framed itself as a digital hub by incorporating various names and sub‐brands such as Wattpad Premium, Wattpad Insights, Wattpad Words, Wattpad Stars, and Wattpad Books (Parnell [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref14">67</reflink>]). In addition to serving as a source for books, the platform functions as a social network for individuals passionate about reading and creative writing (García‐Roca [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref15">33</reflink>]). Readers become contributors to social collaboration and production, transforming from passive consumers into active participants (Ramdarshan Bold [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref16">75</reflink>]). Thus, Wattpad assists the shift from a culture of consumption to a culture of production and participation. These developments also influence the reading and writing habits of younger generations or adolescents, who possess better digital literacy than their older counterparts (Tokat [<reflink idref="bib96" id="ref17">96</reflink>]).</p> <p>This multimedia resource, which serves as a transmedia tool for publishing digital works—including print, film adaptations, video games, and gamification applications (Twarog [<reflink idref="bib97" id="ref18">97</reflink>])—has millions of collections of short stories, novels, and poems (Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref19">70</reflink>]) and has attracted global scholarly interest. A number of studies have been conducted on various dimensions of Wattpad, such the content of the platform (Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref20">85</reflink>]; Yılmaz and İpek [<reflink idref="bib109" id="ref21">109</reflink>]), user motivations of the platform (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref22">21</reflink>]; Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref23">27</reflink>]; Nidar and Monteza [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref24">64</reflink>]; Regimbal‐Kung [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref25">77</reflink>]; Yücelyiğit and Aral ([<reflink idref="bib107" id="ref26">107</reflink>]), its influence on students' reading habits (Mahmudah and Daulay [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref27">54</reflink>]; Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref28">74</reflink>]; Rosas et al. [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref29">80</reflink>]), potential risks associated with its use (Kaya at al. [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref30">43</reflink>]).</p> <p>These studies have significantly contributed to the literature on Wattpad's usage, broadening our understanding of the motivations behind it, its content, and its positive and negative influences on users. However, these studies faced limitations, involving small participant numbers (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref31">21</reflink>]; Coelho et al. [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref32">20</reflink>]; Mahmudah and Daulay [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref33">54</reflink>]; Rosas et al. [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref34">80</reflink>]) and a limited number of works whose content was analyzed (Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref35">85</reflink>]; Miles [<reflink idref="bib60" id="ref36">60</reflink>]; Yılmaz and İpek [<reflink idref="bib109" id="ref37">109</reflink>]), as acknowledged by the researchers themselves. Furthermore, these studies yielded contradictory findings, suggesting a lack of consensus on the effects of Wattpad.</p> <p>Moreover, none of the existing research on Wattpad usage is as comprehensive as our study, particularly regarding its various purposes and the number of participants involved. Previous research addressed each dimension separately. These include Wattpad use, reading habits, and digital addiction.</p> <p>In other words, no study to date with a focus on the relationship between these three dimensions has been found. Therefore, there is a clear need for research that thoroughly explores the use of Wattpad.</p> <p>The exploration of Wattpad's multifaceted impacts—including its purposes, reading habits, and the potential for digital addiction—could yield valuable insights for researchers, educators, and users alike. Investigating these dimensions in relation to one another will likely provide a deeper understanding of how Wattpad affects its users, both positively and negatively. Addressing contradictions in prior studies is crucial, as it signals a need for a unified framework to analyze Wattpad's influence. A comprehensive study could also consider variables such as demographic factors, genre preferences, and user engagement levels, further enriching the analysis.</p> <p>The study demonstrates a notable level of originality by addressing significant gaps in the existing literature on Wattpad, particularly regarding the interconnected dimensions of Wattpad use, reading habits, and digital addiction. While previous research has examined these elements separately, often leading to contradictory findings and limited insights, this study proposes a holistic framework that integrates these dimensions for a comprehensive analysis. By doing so, it not only seeks to clarify the ambiguous relationships among these factors but also aims to yield new insights into how they collectively influence user experiences on the platform.</p> <p>Moreover, the study's focus on the multifaceted impacts of Wattpad—including its diverse purposes and the potential for digital addiction—positions it as a timely contribution to the field of digital literacy and media studies. By considering additional variables such as demographic factors, genre preferences, and user engagement levels, the research promises to enrich the analysis, providing a deeper understanding of the nuances of Wattpad's influence. This approach not only sets the study apart from earlier works but also highlights its relevance to educators, researchers, and users, ultimately advancing the discourse on digital reading in the contemporary landscape.</p> <p>In light of these considerations, the following research questions will be addressed:</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-3">RQ1</hd> <p>What are the descriptive characteristics of adolescent Wattpad users?</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> a. How long have they been using Wattpad?</item> <p></p> <item> b. What is their awareness level of Wattpad?</item> <p></p> <item> c. What are their preferred reading devices?</item> <p></p> <item> d. What roles do they assume on Wattpad (e.g., reader, writer, or both)?</item> <p></p> <item> e. How much time do they spend on Wattpad daily?</item> <p></p> <item> f. What genres do they prefer on Wattpad?</item> <p></p> <item> g. Do they read books outside of Wattpad?</item> <p></p> <item> h. Do they share their reading experiences through Wattpad?</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0187257393-4">RQ2</hd> <p>What are the reading habits of adolescent Wattpad users? Do Wattpad users' reading habits differ by age, gender, duration of Wattpad use, and time spent on the platform?</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-5">RQ3</hd> <p>What is the digital addiction status of adolescent Wattpad users? Does digital addiction among Wattpad users differ by age, gender, duration of Wattpad use, and time spent on the platform?</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-6">RQ4</hd> <p>Is there a relationship between reading habits and digital addiction of adolescent Wattpad users?</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-7">Literature Review</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187257393-8">Adolescents' Reading Habits</hd> <p>Defining the precise boundaries of adolescents' reading habits and literacy can be quite challenging. To help narrow our focus, we can identify three main areas where significant differences are observed: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref38">1</reflink>) the impact of technology, (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>) social reading, and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref40">3</reflink>) changes in reading skills.</p> <p>Reading routines are continually evolving due to the shifting socioeconomic and technological contexts in which they occur (García et al. [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref41">32</reflink>]; Leu et al. [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref42">49</reflink>]). As an important endeavor, reading not only transforms individuals but also possesses the potential to enact broader change (Lang [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref43">47</reflink>]). Traditionally, reading habits and literacy were largely based on printed materials; however, reading today increasingly relies on digital or hybrid tools, influenced by modern technology. As a result, contemporary adolescents tend to engage in reading and writing habits that require less reliance on print or paper (IRA/NTCE [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref44">41</reflink>]).</p> <p>As we move forward, understanding how these habits will continue to evolve remains a significant area of curiosity. Describing literacy as a concept marked by deixis, Leu et al. ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref45">49</reflink>]) emphasize the profound influence of technology on reading practices.... being literate yesterday does not guarantee being fully literate in a world defined primarily by relatively static book technologies, where today we encounter new technologies such as Google docs, Skype, iMovie, Contribute, Basecamp, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, foursquare, Chrome, educational video games or thousands of mobile apps. Being literate tomorrow will be defined by newer technologies that have yet to emerge and newer discourses and social practices that will be created to meet future needs. Therefore, when we talk about new literacies, we mean that literacy is not only new today, it is becoming new every day of our lives (p. 1150).</p> <p>To understand adolescents' relationship with reading in today's technological landscape, it is critical to consider the phenomenon of digital social reading (Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref46">70</reflink>]). Reading has shifted from being an individual activity to a collaborative process among young people, where text‐based projects are produced, shared, and published, allowing adolescents to form their social identities (García‐Roca and De‐Amo [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref47">34</reflink>]). While print media fosters a one‐way interaction from the reader to the text, digital media encourages a collaborative dynamic in which the reader can also act as the author and curator of the content they engage with (Falguera‐García and Selfa‐Sastre [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref48">29</reflink>]). In summary, reading for adolescents has transformed into a social event rather than merely an individual act.</p> <p>Another significant change in the reading habits of today's adolescents is evident in their reading skills. The digitalization prevalent across all aspects of life has led to the emergence of a new type of reader with high computer literacy (Shatunova et al. [<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref49">87</reflink>]). A key characteristic of this reader, including adolescents, is a preference for screens over paper for reading. This shift has also impacted comprehension, attention, and motivation—important components of the reading experience.</p> <p>Research on this issue presents conflicting findings regarding whether this effect is positive or negative (Nielen et al. [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref50">65</reflink>]). For instance, Long and Szabo ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref51">52</reflink>]) discovered no significant differences in reading motivation, attitudes toward reading, or reading comprehension between students using e‐readers and those using printed texts. On the contrary, Satin et al. ([<reflink idref="bib83" id="ref52">83</reflink>]) found that students who utilized digital texts displayed higher levels of motivation (Mangen et al. [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref53">55</reflink>]). However, students reading printed texts performed significantly better on reading comprehension tests compared to their digital counterparts. Daniel and Woody ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref54">23</reflink>]) also emphasized that reading electronic textbooks can be more time‐consuming than traditional reading.</p> <p>In summary, while digital reading offers new opportunities, it also presents challenges, such as distractions from checking emails or social media and navigational difficulties like scrolling and the inability to view the entire text at once (Nielen et al. [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref55">65</reflink>]).</p> <p>Adolescents' reading skills have evolved to become multimodal, multi‐stimulus, and interactive, particularly in the context of digital reading. Albarello (2019) referred to this phenomenon as transmedia reading, defining it as "an inclusive, multimodal form of reading that encompasses all types of texts (written, visual, auditory, playful) and media, and one that hybridizes with the reader's production and consumption practices" (Albarello, 2019, p. 166, as cited in Guerrero‐Pico et al. [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref56">35</reflink>]).</p> <p>With transmedia reading, individuals rely not only on written language but also on visual and auditory resources to augment comprehension. However, this shift has brought about challenges for adolescents, including decreased motivation, aversion to non‐multimodal texts, and difficulties in understanding traditional texts. While the multimodal nature of digital reading has augmented children's access to information, it is crucial to consider its potential negative impacts on their ability to think critically and generate original ideas. Digital reading should ideally promote deep reading and comprehension (Wolf and Barzillai [<reflink idref="bib102" id="ref57">102</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-9">Adolescents' Digital Addiction</hd> <p>Digital addiction, which was first mentioned by Cash et al. in 2012 and used synonymously with internet addiction (Singh and Singh [<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref58">88</reflink>]), is not yet a field with clear boundaries. So much so that it is not included as a type of addiction officially defined and accepted as a mental illness in the American Psychiatric Association's 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders', which focuses more on substance addiction (Basel et al. [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref59">7</reflink>]; Lam and Harcourt [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref60">46</reflink>]). Indeed, the use of technology, which is the basis of this addiction, is seen as a state of progress of societies and provides many benefits to human life, unlike chemical addiction and substance addiction. Individuals can conduct research, carry out commercial transactions, access libraries, communicate, and make holiday plans. In contrast, alcohol or drugs are not an integral or necessary part of our personal and professional lives, and these substances do not provide any health benefits (Young [<reflink idref="bib104" id="ref61">104</reflink>]). Despite this paradox, excessive and pathological internet use has been recognized as an internet addiction that shares the same characteristics as substance use disorders or pathological gambling (Small et al. [<reflink idref="bib91" id="ref62">91</reflink>]). In general, digital addiction can be defined as any addictive behavior related to the use of digital devices, including mobile phones, computers, the internet, video games and social media (Singh and Singh [<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref63">88</reflink>]). Excessive interaction with technology, threatening attention and consequently having a negative impact on the well‐being of individuals (Vaghela [<reflink idref="bib99" id="ref64">99</reflink>]) constitute the main outlines of digital addiction.</p> <p>Of the world's population of approximately 8 billion people, 69.4% are unique mobile phone users, 66.2% are internet users, 62.3% are active social media users and the average daily time each internet user spends using the internet is 6 h 40 m (Kemp [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref65">44</reflink>]). Looking at the distribution in terms of children aged 11–5, 59% of them have their own tablet, 91% have their own smartphone; 80% play online games; 87% use social media applications, 91% use messaging applications, 99% use video sharing platforms and 60% use live streaming applications (Bağatarhan and Siyez [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref66">8</reflink>]). Individuals, especially adolescents, use the internet intensively as a means of entertainment, socialization and information (Sinkkonen et al. [<reflink idref="bib89" id="ref67">89</reflink>]). Numerical data and intensive use support Leu et al.'s (2013) assertion that "the internet is this generation's defining technology for literacy and learning in our global community" (p. 1158), and Christakis ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref68">17</reflink>]) 21st century pandemic' designation for internet addiction is justified and reveals that all individuals and adolescents are natural candidates for digital addiction.</p> <p>Although digital game addiction is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to digital addiction in children or adolescents, there are different types of digital addiction. Singh and Singh ([<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref69">88</reflink>]) mention the following types of digital addiction based on the literature review: Computer addiction, smartphone addiction, digital tool addiction, selfie or selfie addiction, google search addiction, YouTube addiction, Facebook addiction, Twitter addiction or Twitteritis, digital simulation addiction, video games addiction, computer games addiction (online‐offline), internet addiction, online addictive behavior, mobile applications addiction.</p> <p>The central locus of this study is Wattpad use and reading habits and digital addiction of Wattpad. In previous research, each dimension, namely, Wattpad use, reading habits, and digital addiction, was addressed separately, independent of each other. In other words, no study to date with a focus on the relationship between these three dimensions has been found. In light of this gap, this study aims to scrutinize Turkish adolescents' use of Wattpad, their reading habits, and digital addiction from various angels.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-10">Influences of Wattpad on Adolescents</hd> <p>Given Wattpad's popularity and widespread use, along with the observation that a substantial portion of its user base consists of young adults and adolescents (Tateno and Kato [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref70">93</reflink>]), it is likely that the platform has social, psychological, academic, and cognitive impacts—both positive and negative—on its users. Some researchers have examined the content of the platform (Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref71">85</reflink>]; Yılmaz and İpek [<reflink idref="bib109" id="ref72">109</reflink>]), while others have explored user motivations (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref73">21</reflink>]; Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref74">27</reflink>]; Nidar and Monteza [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref75">64</reflink>]). Additionally, studies have investigated the platform's influence on students' reading habits (Mahmudah and Daulay [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref76">54</reflink>]; Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref77">74</reflink>]; Rosas et al. [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref78">80</reflink>]) and the potential risks associated with its use (Kaya et al. [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref79">43</reflink>]).</p> <p>With its intuitive interface, Wattpad provides users access to a vast library of user‐generated content across diverse narratives, catering to a wide range of interests (Regimbal‐Kung [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref80">77</reflink>]). This platform has the potential to yield positive social, psychological, academic, and cognitive impacts on its users.</p> <p>The interactive social features—such as commenting and voting systems—nourish the social and psychological well‐being of their users. The platform encourages users to connect with others who share similar interests, fostering social interaction and the development of friendships (García‐Roca [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref81">33</reflink>]; Saez [<reflink idref="bib81" id="ref82">81</reflink>]). This active participation cultivates a strong sense of belonging and community (Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref83">27</reflink>]; Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref84">70</reflink>]), a sense of freedom (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref85">21</reflink>]), and a space for self‐expression and identity exploration within a relatively safe and supportive environment (Regimbal‐Kung [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref86">77</reflink>]). Furthermore, it contributes to a sense of fulfillment in their lives (Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref87">27</reflink>]; Rosas et al. [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref88">80</reflink>]) as well as enjoyment, satisfaction, inspiration, curiosity, excitement, empathy, and valuable life lessons, which serve as the main motivations for users (Nidar and Monteza [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref89">64</reflink>]).</p> <p>Beyond social gains, Wattpad may enhance academic performance by stimulating reading and writing. Engaging with diverse, appealing content can cultivate a love of reading (Mahmudah and Daulay [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref90">54</reflink>]; Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref91">74</reflink>]), improve literacy skills (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref92">21</reflink>]; Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref93">85</reflink>]), develop reading habits (Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref94">74</reflink>]), and nurture appreciation of literary perspectives and cultural contexts, thereby deepening users' understanding of diverse cultures and societies (Yücelyiğit and Aral [<reflink idref="bib107" id="ref95">107</reflink>]). Exposure to a rich variety of genres and writing styles not only broadens users' horizons but also enhances their appreciation for cross‐cultural communication. Interacting with literary texts (both classics and teen fiction) not only helps create "social bonding" (affective interaction) but also fosters "social‐cognitive interaction" (collective intelligence) (Pianzola et al. [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref96">70</reflink>]).</p> <p>Wattpad can also positively impact its users cognitively by enhancing their reading skills, encouraging their creativity (Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref97">85</reflink>]), fostering creative imagination (Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref98">74</reflink>]), sharpening their critical thinking and analytical skills (Regimbal‐Kung [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref99">77</reflink>]), and advancing their cognitive flexibility, self‐reflection, and maturity (Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref100">74</reflink>]).</p> <p>On the flip side, Wattpad may have negative social, psychological, academic, and cognitive impacts on its users. Despite the potential to foster social connections and a sense of community through judicious and well‐informed use of Wattpad's social features, such as commenting and interacting with other users (Regimbal‐Kung [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref101">77</reflink>]), excessive and unprincipled use of the platform could paradoxically lead to social isolation in the offline world (Nayak [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref102">63</reflink>]). This isolation can weaken the capacity for face‐to‐face communication and interaction (Rabang et al. [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref103">74</reflink>]; Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref104">86</reflink>]), resulting in feelings of loneliness and a decline in social skills (Nayak [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref105">63</reflink>]). Moreover, users may develop unrealistic expectations by aspiring to adopt idealized versions of themselves, with online validation becoming a primary source of self‐esteem, which poses a significant risk to their mental health and overall wellness (Starcevic and Aboujaoude [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref106">92</reflink>]). Furthermore, the anonymity afforded by the platform can encourage negative behaviors, creating an environment where users may experience harassment, social exclusion, and the potential for cyberbullying (Starcevic and Aboujaoude [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref107">92</reflink>]), and reduced interest in socializing with loved ones (Yılmaz and İpek [<reflink idref="bib109" id="ref108">109</reflink>]).</p> <p>The platform may also cause severe psychological problems, such as negative self‐perceptions, substance use, family dysfunction, and violence—both physical and emotional. Drawing on her examination of the content of the five most popular novels produced by Wattpad users, Sert Ağır ([<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref109">85</reflink>]) warns that the platform exposes its users to a variety of risk‐taking behaviors. Similarly, in their analysis of six Wattpad award‐winning stories, Yılmaz and İpek ([<reflink idref="bib109" id="ref110">109</reflink>]) found that elements related to violence and aggression, such as irritability, poor time management, health neglect, and increased profanity, were prevalent, indicating a significant interest in violent themes among Wattpad readers.</p> <p>Excessive time spent on Wattpad diminishes academic pursuits, leading to poor time management and lowered academic performance (Fuchs [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref111">31</reflink>]). Students who prioritize online reading over studying may experience lower grades, missed deadlines, and increased stress (Fuchs [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref112">31</reflink>]). Moreover, the addictive nature of the platform, with its perpetual influx of new content and interactive features, makes it difficult for students to detach and concentrate on their academic responsibilities. This situation poses a significant challenge to effective time management (Fuchs [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref113">31</reflink>]). The sometimes relatively passive nature of consuming online content, combined with the persistent provocation of social media notifications, may obstruct active learning and reduce motivation for academic tasks (Fuchs [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref114">31</reflink>]). Additionally, easy and effortless access to entertainment on Wattpad can make it challenging for students to engage in the demanding cognitive processes essential for academic success, such as processing and retaining information effectively.</p> <p>Besides its adverse social and academic impacts on its users, Wattpad can adversely influence users cognitively. Excessive use of Wattpad can result in diminished attention and decreased cognitive function (Starcevic and Aboujaoude [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref115">92</reflink>]). The constant flow of notifications, easy transitions between stories, and engaging nature of online reading all contribute to concentration issues. (Starcevic and Aboujaoude [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref116">92</reflink>]). Switching easily between various narratives on Wattpad presents a significant challenge to attention span, resulting in disrupted attention spans and hampered cognitive performance. The constant availability of new content on Wattpad may hinder the development of focused attention and cognitive control in adolescents (Reina [<reflink idref="bib78" id="ref117">78</reflink>])</p> <p>In addition to diminished attention and decreased cognitive function, Wattpad, with its user‐generated stories, can pose challenges for the information processing and critical thinking skills of its users. The absence of critical evaluation of the platform's often inaccurate, biased, and harmful content (Starcevic and Aboujaoude [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref118">92</reflink>]), the platform's structure prioritizing engagement and popularity metrics, might inadvertently reward sensationalized or emotionally charged content over factually accurate or nuanced narratives, requires a level of discernment and analytical skill that may not be fully developed in younger users. This can lead to potential misinformation or the acceptance of unsubstantiated claims.</p> <p>One of the most concerning adverse influences of Wattpad is addiction. The platform's readily available and engaging content, combined with its social interaction features, constant notifications, and regular updates, can create a cycle of reward and reinforcement that makes it difficult for users to disengage (Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref119">86</reflink>]). This, in turn, increases the risk of developing problematic usage patterns, including impulsivity and sensation‐seeking traits (Tateno and Kato [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref120">93</reflink>]), as well as anxiety and underlying mental health conditions such as depression (Tateno and Kato [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref121">93</reflink>]). Additionally, users may experience a heightened tendency for suicidal thoughts (Kaya et al. [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref122">43</reflink>]).</p> <p>These studies have significantly contributed to our understanding of Wattpad's usage, the motivations behind using it, its content, and its positive and negative influences on its users. However, as noted above, the findings of these studies are conflicting and inconclusive, with an obvious gap to be filled in. Considering the immense popularity of Wattpad among adolescents in the face of the above‐mentioned both innumerable positive and negative influences of this platform on young people, it is crucial to examine it from various angles. Therefore, the study aims to scrutinize Turkish adolescents' use of Wattpad, their reading habits, and digital addiction from various angels.</p> <p>These studies have significantly contributed to our understanding of Wattpad's usage, including the motivations for using it, its content, and its positive and negative influences on users. However, as noted above, the findings are often conflicting and inconclusive, highlighting a clear gap in the literature. Given Wattpad's immense popularity among adolescents, along with its numerous positive and negative effects on young users, it is crucial to examine the platform from various perspectives. Therefore, this study aims to scrutinize Turkish adolescents' use of Wattpad, their reading habits, their experiences with digital addiction, and the potential relationships among these factors.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-11">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187257393-12">Research Model</hd> <p>This study examines the relationship between the reading habits of adolescents using Wattpad and their digital addiction status and is designed as quantitative research in line with the relational survey model. The survey design provides a quantitative or numerical description of the trends, attitudes, or opinions in the general population through studies conducted on a sample selected from that population (Creswell [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref123">22</reflink>]). The relational survey model is a type of survey model used to determine the degree of change in the relationship between two or more variables (Büyüköztürk et al. [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref124">9</reflink>]). The research has two dependent variables: reading habits and digital addiction. In addition to examining the relationship between these two dependent variables, each dependent variable was compared with independent variables such as age, gender, length of Wattpad use, and daily Wattpad use, employing the relational survey model.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-13">The Setting and Participants</hd> <p>The setting of this study was a 2‐week international book fair in a big city in Turkey. During this time, one of the researchers met the participants while they were waiting to meet their favorite Wattpad authors or to get their books, brochures, and pictures signed by the authors. The first author explained the purpose of the research and asked adolescents if they were willing to participate in the study. Thus, the participants were selected using convenience sampling, the limitations of which are addressed in section 4.1. Only those who were able to provide parental consent either through a printed parental consent form or online Google Forms link took part in the study. The questionnaire was completed face‐to‐face by 379 participants. Data from 379 participants constituted the final data source after the exclusion of incomplete or erroneous questionnaires, or questionnaires with incorrect information. Some descriptive characteristics of the participants are as follows (Figure 1): 343 of the participants were girls (91%) and 36 were boys (9%). 124 of them were 12 years old, 120 were 14, 98 were 13and 37 were 11 years old. 308 participants attend secondary school and 71 attend high school. 344 of them continue their education in public schools and 35 in private schools. While 272 of the participants (72%) had a mobile device of their own, 102 participants stated that they had a digital device that they could use at home, and 5 of them stated that they could use digital devices through their immediate surroundings (school, café, neighbor, etc.).</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0001.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0001.jpg" title="1 Descriptive characteristics of participants." /> </p> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187257393-15">Data Collection Tools</hd> <p>The data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of four sections. The first part of the form is about personal characteristics, the second part is about Wattpad usage, the third part is about general reading habits, and the fourth part is about digital addiction.</p> <p>Personal Characteristics: This section includes information about the participants, such as age, gender, educational status, and digital device ownership.</p> <p>Wattpad Usage: This part includes open‐ended and optional questions about the participants' awareness of Wattpad, the length of time they have been using and following Wattpad, the use of reading devices, their roles in using Wattpad (reader, writer, or both), time spent using Wattpad each day, preferences for reading print books compared to those on Wattpad, preferred genres, family knowledge and opinions about Wattpad use, and sharing Wattpad readings. In preparing this section, the first author extensively reviewed the relevant literature and developed a pool of questions based on studies on Wattpad use (Agustina and Hidayat [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref125">2</reflink>]; crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref126">21</reflink>]; Anggitasari et al. [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref127">4</reflink>]; Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref128">27</reflink>]; García‐Roca and De‐Amo [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref129">34</reflink>]; Rosas et al. [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref130">80</reflink>]; Sert Ağır [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref131">86</reflink>]; Zubaidi et al. [<reflink idref="bib111" id="ref132">111</reflink>]). This pool of questions was then presented to two field specialists. The approved items were adapted, and expert opinions from two specialists in the Department of Turkish Language Teacher Education were obtained. After several revisions and edits, it was piloted with ten secondary and ten high school students, whose data were not included in the study, to ensure clarity, comprehensibility, and conciseness.</p> <p>The third section of the questionnaire consists of a reading inventory. The Reading Habit Inventory (see Appendix A for details), developed by Senthilkumaran and Revathi ([<reflink idref="bib84" id="ref133">84</reflink>]), consists of five sections and 42 items and was employed to gather information about participants' reading habits. The inventory's reliability was assessed using the KR‐20 and Test‐Retest methods, yielding coefficients of 0.88 and 0.82, respectively, which indicates a high level of reliability. Originally developed in India, the inventory underwent linguistic and cultural adaptation for use in Turkish with the same age group. In this process, we translated the instructions, items, and response options into Turkish, following the stages outlined by Hambleton and Patsula ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref134">36</reflink>]). Initially, three experts conducted the translation from English to Turkish, and the translated forms were later evaluated in collaborative sessions among the researchers. This resulted in a single consolidated version. Subsequently, the original and finalized versions of the inventory were sent for a linguistic equivalence study conducted by field experts. Following their approval, pre‐pilot and pilot studies assessed the scale's validity and reliability. The pre‐pilot study administered the inventory to 10 students (7 girls) to gather feedback on language clarity, comprehensibility, responsiveness, and response time. The pilot study involved 34 secondary school students (24 girls), testing both the validity and reliability of the inventory. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient from the pilot study was 0.777, categorizing it as "very reliable" based on the range of 0.60 ≤ <emph>α</emph> < 0.80. This result confirmed the inventory's suitability for the Turkish context. Further validation was achieved with data from 379 participants in this study, yielding a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.792, indicating it is "very reliable."</p> <p>The final part of the questionnaire includes a Digital Addiction Scale for Children (DASC). The DASC consists of nine dimensions and a total of 25 questions, featuring 5‐point Likert‐type statements developed by Hawi et al. ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref135">38</reflink>]) to assess digital addiction in children (see Appendix B for details). The scale was originally designed for children between the ages of 9 and 12. Later, it was adapted into Turkish by Bağatarhan and Siyez ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref136">8</reflink>]), and its cultural relevance, reliability, and validity were tested for use with adolescents aged 9–14. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of the original scale was found to be 0.936, indicating that it is 'highly reliable,' referring to the range of 0.81 ≤ <emph>α</emph> < 1.00. The reliability test conducted with 379 data points within the scope of this study yielded a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.934, classifying it as a highly reliable measurement tool. The Turkish adaptation was found to have a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.94 (Bağatarhan and Siyez [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref137">8</reflink>]), indicating that the Turkish adaptation is also highly reliable, just like the original one.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-16">Data Analysis</hd> <p>The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 program. The dependent variables were reading habits and digital addiction, while the independent variables consisted of individual characteristics and those related to Wattpad use. In analyzing the relationships between these variables, tests were first conducted to determine whether to apply parametric or non‐parametric tests, specifically assessing the normality of the data distribution. In this context, we checked whether the kurtosis and skewness values of the variables to be analyzed were within the range of ±2, whether the significance value of the Kolmogorov‐Smirnov test was (<emph>p</emph> > 0.05), and whether the histogram indicated a symmetrical distribution. Non‐parametric tests (Kruskal‐Wallis H Test, Mann‐Whitney U Test) were applied when the data did not meet normality assumptions. In analyzing data with three or more variables, the Bonferroni correction was used to find differences between the groups if the Kruskal‐Wallis H Test was significant. Spearman's correlation test was conducted to discover the relationship between reading habits and digital addiction, because of lack of normal distribution of the data. Spearman's rho measurement was used in correlation‐based analyses due to the non‐normal distribution of the data. Accordingly, the coefficient obtained from this measurement ranges from −1 to +1. A value of +1 indicates a perfect positive correlation, −1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, and 0 indicates the absence of a relationship between the two variables. The strength of the relationship increases as the absolute value approaches 1 and decreases as it approaches 0 (Karagöz [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref138">42</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-17">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187257393-18">RQ1</hd> <p>Descriptive characteristics of adolescent Wattpad users.</p> <p>As seen in Figure 2, which revealed the habits and preferences of Wattpad users in general, almost half of the participants (frequency, [<emph>f</emph>] = 183, 48.3%) had been following Wattpad for 1 year and (<emph>f</emph> = 117, 30.9%) for 2 years. A small number of participants stated that they had been following this platform for 4 years (<emph>f</emph> = 11, 2.9%) and 5 years or more (<emph>f</emph> = 10, 2.6%). (Figure 3)</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0002.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0002.jpg" title="2 Habits and preferences of adolescents." /> </p> <p></p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0003.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0003.jpg" title="3 Habits and preferences of adolescents (Continued)." /> </p> <p></p> <p>When it comes to the sources that made the participants aware of Wattpad, the most influential source was friends (<emph>f</emph> = 134, 35.4%), social media (<emph>f</emph> = 129, 34.0%), followed by relatives (<emph>f</emph> = 61, 16.1%), and general internet pages (<emph>f</emph> = 49, 12.9%). The least influential source is films or TV series (<emph>f</emph> = 6, 1.6%).</p> <p>Participants primarily read Wattpad works using both electronic mobile devices and printed books (<emph>f</emph> = 228, 60.2%), while some exclusively use digital devices (<emph>f</emph> = 151, 39.8%). The majority of the participants used Wattpad predominantly for reading, while 129 participants (34%) used it for both reading and writing.</p> <p>Results on daily time spent on Wattpad show that (<emph>f</emph> = 167, 44.1%) of participants spent up to 1 h, (<emph>f</emph> = 69, 18.2%) spent ~2 h, and (<emph>f</emph> = 80, 21.1%) spent about 3 h on the platform. Only (<emph>f</emph> = 30, 7.9%) reported spending 5 h, and (<emph>f</emph> = 10, 2.6%) reported spending 6 h or more on Wattpad.</p> <p>The most preferred genres among participants were fantasy (<emph>f</emph> = 115, 30.3%) and crime fiction (<emph>f</emph> = 111, 29.3%), followed by science fiction (<emph>f</emph> = 60, 15.8%) and action (<emph>f</emph> = 56, 14.8%). Other favored genres included romance (<emph>f</emph> = 25, 6.6%), historical fiction (<emph>f</emph> = 9, 2.4%), and comedy (<emph>f</emph> = 3, 0.8%).</p> <p>The vast majority of the participants (<emph>f</emph> = 319, 84.2%) had a habit of reading books outside of Wattpad. More than half of them (<emph>f</emph> = 173, 54.2%) did not share their reading experiences, such as their narrations, interpretations, or discussions, while (<emph>f</emph> = 146, 45.8%) shared their reading experiences. An interesting observation was made regarding participants' Wattpad reading experiences: many of the participants (<emph>f</emph> = 330, 87.1%) shared their Wattpad reading experiences, while only a small number of them (<emph>f</emph> = 49, 12.9%) did not. They primarily shared their experiences with their friends (<emph>f</emph> = 255, 67.3%), family members (<emph>f</emph> = 48, 12.7%), and relatives (<emph>f</emph> = 27, 7.1%).</p> <p>When it comes to parental control over Wattpad, (<emph>f</emph> = 247, 65.2%) of participants stated that their Wattpad use was controlled by their parents, while (<emph>f</emph> = 100, 26.4%) said that it was not. (<emph>f</emph> = 163, 43.0%) of the participants noted that their parents had positive opinions regarding their children's use of Wattpad, while (<emph>f</emph> = 15, 4%) had negative opinions. Another interesting finding regarding adolescents' Wattpad use is that (<emph>f</emph> = 201, 53.0%) of them stressed that their parents had no opinion about Wattpad.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-21">RQ2</hd> <p>The second research question explored the status of the reading habits of adolescent Wattpad users and whether their reading habits differ by age, gender, duration of Wattpad use, and time spent on the platform.</p> <p>The average reading habit score of adolescents using Wattpad was calculated as 27.67 (total number of participants = 379; SD = 5.585), which, according to the Reading Habit Inventory, indicates a medium level of reading habits (19 < <emph>M</emph> < 31) (Senthilkumaran and Revathi [<reflink idref="bib84" id="ref139">84</reflink>]). When examining the score distribution of the subdimensions (perception of reading, general reading practices, purpose of reading, reading‐related activities, and utilizing technology for reading; see Figure 4) that contribute to the average reading habit score, it was observed that the mean scores were close to the peak score. The subdimension closest to the peak is the purpose of reading, while the furthest is general reading practices.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0004.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0004.jpg" title="4 Reading habits of adolescents." /> </p> <p></p> <p>As can be seen in Table 1, gender influences the reading habits of adolescents using Wattpad, as girls consistently achieved higher mean scores than boys (<emph>U</emph> = 2820.500; <emph>p</emph> < 0.05).</p> <p>1 Table Mann Whitney U‐Test results on the relationship between gender and reading habits.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Gender</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th>Rank mean</th><th>Rank sum</th><th><italic>U</italic></th><th><italic>p</italic></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Girls</td><td>343</td><td>199.78</td><td>68523.50</td><td>2820.500</td><td>0.000</td></tr><tr><td>Boys</td><td>36</td><td>96.85</td><td>3486.50</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>On the other hand, we found that age was not a significant factor influencing adolescents' reading habits (<emph>χ</emph>² = 1.680, <emph>p</emph> > 0.05; see Table 2). It should be noted that age played a role in the reading habits of children aged 12 and 14, as they had higher mean scores than others; however, this difference was not statistically significant.</p> <p>2 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H Test results on the relationship between age and reading habits.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Age</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th /><th><italic>X</italic><sup>2</sup></th><th><italic>p</italic></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>11 years old</td><td>37</td><td>186.66</td><td>1.680</td><td>0.641</td></tr><tr><td>12 years old</td><td>98</td><td>196.24</td></tr><tr><td>13 years old</td><td>124</td><td>180.32</td></tr><tr><td>14 years old</td><td>120</td><td>195.94</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>The length of time spent using and following Wattpad by adolescents was identified as a significant factor affecting their reading habits (<emph>χ</emph>² = 52.705, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05; Table 3). The results of the Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, conducted to determine the relationship between the length of time spent using and following the platform and reading habits, showed that adolescents using the platform for 3 and 4 years exhibited stronger reading habits compared to those who had been using it for 1 and 2 years.</p> <p>3 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H Test results on the relationship between age and reading habits.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Follow‐up period</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th /><th><italic>X</italic><sup>2</sup></th><th><italic>p</italic></th><th>Difference<ext-link /><sup>a</sup></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>1 year</td><td>183</td><td>159.73</td><td>52.705</td><td>0.000</td><td>1–31–42–32–4</td></tr><tr><td>2 years</td><td>117</td><td>187.63</td></tr><tr><td>3 years</td><td>58</td><td>260.47</td></tr><tr><td>4 years</td><td>11</td><td>308.95</td></tr><tr><td>5 and above</td><td>10</td><td>232.20</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 a Differences were Bonferroni correction for multiple testing.</p> <p>A significant difference was found between the time adolescents spend daily on Wattpad and their reading habits (<emph>χ</emph>² = 60.073, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05; Table 4). The results of the Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, performed to determine the relationship between the length of time spent using and following the platform daily and general reading habits, demonstrated a positive correlation. In other words, adolescents who spent ~3, 4, 5, and 6 h or more on Wattpad daily showed significantly stronger reading habits than those who spent up to 1 h. Similarly, adolescents who spent about 2 h on the platform showed considerably weaker reading habits than those who spent 6 h or more. It is also noteworthy that users with the highest average reading habits score (311.80) are those who spend 6 or more hours on Wattpad daily.</p> <p>4 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H test results on the relationship between time spent on Wattpad daily and general reading habits.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Time passing</th><th /><th><italic>N</italic></th><th /><th><italic>X</italic><sup>2</sup></th><th><italic>p</italic></th><th>Difference<ext-link /><sup>a</sup></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>1. Up to 1 h</p></list-item></list></td><td /><td>167</td><td>147.56</td><td>60.073</td><td>0.000</td><td>1–3, 4, 5, 62–6</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>2. About 2 h</p></list-item></list></td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>3</p></list-item></list></td><td>69</td><td>189.29</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>4. About 3 h</p></list-item></list></td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>5</p></list-item></list></td><td>80</td><td>239.47</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>6. About 4 h</p></list-item></list></td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>7</p></list-item></list></td><td>23</td><td>229.63</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>8. About 5 h</p></list-item></list></td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>9</p></list-item></list></td><td>30</td><td>225.00</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>10. 6 h or more</p></list-item></list></td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>11</p></list-item></list></td><td>10</td><td>311.80</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>2 a Differences were Bonferroni correction for multiple testing.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-23">RQ3</hd> <p>With the third research question, we aimed to explore the status of digital addiction among adolescent Wattpad users and whether their digital addiction differs by age, gender, duration of Wattpad use, and time spent on the platform.</p> <p>The mean digital addiction score for adolescents using Wattpad was calculated to be 58.49 (total number of participants = 379, SD = 19.35). The Digital Addiction Scale has a determination threshold ranging from 25 to 125, with higher scores indicating greater levels of addiction as they approach 125 (Hawi et al. [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref140">38</reflink>]). Consequently, the average digital addiction score of the participants (58.49) suggests a level of digital addiction that is close to the medium range.</p> <p>As illustrated in Figure 5, which displays the peak scores, mean scores, and standard deviations of the subdimensions of digital addiction (busyness, tolerance, giving up, problems, conflict, deception, displacement, relapse, and mood change), the mean scores fall within a range similar to the potential peak score. Notably, there is no predominant subdimension positioned significantly closer or farther from the peak score. This indicates that the various subdimensions contribute similarly to adolescents' overall digital addiction scores.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0005.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0005.jpg" title="5 Digital addiction graph." /> </p> <p></p> <p>When it comes to the correlation between gender and digital addiction, no significant relationship was found between them (<emph>U</emph> = 5271.500; <emph>p</emph> > 0.05; Table 5). However, the mean rank of girls who use Wattpad is lower than that of boys, indicating that male adolescents have a higher level of digital addiction than female adolescents.</p> <p>5 Table Mann Whitney U‐Test results on the relationship between gender and digital addiction according.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Gender</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th>Rank mean</th><th>Rank sum</th><th><italic>U</italic></th><th><italic>p</italic></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Girl</td><td>343</td><td>187.37</td><td>64267.50</td><td>5271.500</td><td>0.149</td></tr><tr><td>Boy</td><td>36</td><td>215.07</td><td>7742.50</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>No meaningful relationship was found between age and digital addiction (<emph>χ</emph>² = 6.775; <emph>p</emph> > 0.05; Table 6). However, children aged 12 and 14 had weaker addiction, although this was not significant.</p> <p>6 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H Test Results on the relationship between age and digital addiction.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Age</td><td>N</td><td /><td>X<sup>2</sup></td><td>p</td></tr><tr><td>11 years old</td><td>37</td><td>218.26</td><td>6.775</td><td>0.079</td></tr><tr><td>12 years old</td><td>98</td><td>175.33</td></tr><tr><td>13 years old</td><td>124</td><td>202.52</td></tr><tr><td>14 years old</td><td>120</td><td>180.33</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>The duration of adolescents' usage and following of Wattpad was found to create a significant difference in their digital addiction (<emph>χ</emph>² = 11.475, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05; see Table 7). The results of the Bonferroni correction for multiple tests conducted to assess the relationship between the time spent on Wattpad and digital addiction indicated a meaningful correlation. Adolescents who had been following Wattpad for 4 years exhibited weaker digital addiction compared to those who had been following it for 2 years and those who had been following it for 5 years or more.</p> <p>7 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H test results on the relationship between duration of following Wattpad and digital addiction.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Follow‐up period</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th /><th><italic>X</italic><sup>2</sup></th><th><italic>p</italic></th><th>Difference<ext-link /><sup>a</sup></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>1. 1 year</p></list-item></list></td><td>183</td><td>188.41</td><td>11.475</td><td>0.022</td><td>4–24–5</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>2. 2 years</p></list-item></list></td><td>117</td><td>200.17</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>3. 3 years</p></list-item></list></td><td>58</td><td>182.41</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>4. 4 years</p></list-item></list></td><td>11</td><td>98.64</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>5. 5 and above</p></list-item></list></td><td>10</td><td>244.70</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>3 a Differences were tested with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing.</p> <p>The time spent by adolescents on Wattpad created a significant difference in their digital addiction status (<emph>χ</emph>² = 12.598, <emph>p</emph> < 0.05; see Table 8). The result of the Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, performed to determine between which periods the difference occurred, shows that the average score of adolescents who spend approximately 3 h on Wattpad daily differs significantly from the average score of adolescents who spend approximately 4 h on Wattpad. As shown in Table 8, there is a notable nonlinear relationship between the time spent on Wattpad and the mean scores of digital addiction. Specifically, users who spend the most time on Wattpad daily have the lowest mean digital addiction score (157.35).</p> <p>8 Table Kruskal‐Wallis H Test Results on the relationship between time spent on Wattpad and digital addiction.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Time passing</th><th><italic>N</italic></th><th /><th><italic>X</italic><sup>2</sup></th><th><italic>p</italic></th><th>Difference<sup>a</sup></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>1. Up to 1 h</p></list-item></list></td><td>167</td><td>192.47</td><td>12.598</td><td>0.027</td><td>3–4</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>2. About 2 h</p></list-item></list></td><td>69</td><td>191.65</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>3. About 3 h</p></list-item></list></td><td>80</td><td>168.10</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>4. About 4 h</p></list-item></list></td><td>23</td><td>256.22</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>5. About 5 h</p></list-item></list></td><td>30</td><td>190.98</td></tr><tr><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>6. 6 h or more</p></list-item></list></td><td>10</td><td>157.35</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>4 a Differences were analyzed using the Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-25">RQ4</hd> <p>This study question explored the relationship between reading habits and digital addiction among adolescent Wattpad users.</p> <p>A low‐level negative (Spearman's <emph>r</emph> = −0.208) and significant (<emph>p</emph> < 0.05) relationship was found between the reading habits of adolescents using Wattpad and digital addiction (see Table 9). This indicates that as reading habits among adolescents using Wattpad increase, their digital addiction tends to decrease. This relationship is also illustrated in Figure 6.</p> <p>9 Table Correlation between general reading habits and digital addiction.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr valign="bottom"><th>Variable pair</th><th>Spearman's <italic>r</italic> (rs)</th><th><italic>p</italic> value</th><th><italic>N</italic></th></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Digital addiction‐ Reading habits</td><td>−0.208<ext-link href="a" /></td><td>0.000</td><td>379</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>5 a Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2‐tailed).</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/PIS/01sep25/pits23518-fig-0006.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="pits23518-fig-0006.jpg" title="6 Correlation between reading habits and digital addiction." /> </p> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187257393-27">Discussion</hd> <p>This quantitative research aimed to explore the relationship between adolescents' use of Wattpad, their reading habits, and digital addiction. The findings are discussed below in the same order as the research questions were posed and the findings were presented.</p> <p>The findings of this study on the reading habits and digital addiction of Wattpad users reveal distinct trends and patterns among platform users. One notable result concerns the length of Wattpad usage. Half of the participants used Wattpad for 1 year, while one‐third used it for 2 years. Conversely, the number of users who had been on the platform for 4 to 5 years is relatively low. This observation suggests that Wattpad is perceived as a new phenomenon among Turkish users and has only recently begun to establish itself within the reading habits of the younger generation. Although the fact that the duration of following the platform is concentrated between 1 and 3 years in previous studies (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref141">21</reflink>]; García‐Roca [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref142">33</reflink>]) seems to support the findings of this study, it presents a contradiction when considering that the duration of follow‐up progresses linearly over time. In 2021, a 1‐year follow‐up period indicates that users in this study, who have been following the platform for 4 years, were not accounted for in earlier research. This result emphasizes that Wattpad is still perceived as a new phenomenon by the participants of this study.</p> <p>Another finding of the study is about common sources of adolescents' awareness of Wattpad. We found that the two most common sources of adolescents' awareness of Wattpad were friends and social media, suggesting that peer‐based social interaction and digital communication significantly contribute to the platform's popularity. The influence of friends on Wattpad usage was also highlighted as the primary source in Rosas et al.'s ([<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref143">80</reflink>]) and Sert Ağır ([<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref144">86</reflink>]) research. Other sources identified include relatives and general web pages. For instance, García‐Roca and De‐Amo ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref145">34</reflink>]) noted that users often discover Wattpad through chance encounters while browsing the internet or looking for similar applications, as well as via their immediate social circles. Notably, none of the adolescents indicated their schools or teachers as sources of awareness about Wattpad. This suggests that schools and educators have not yet embraced Wattpad as an educational tool, reinforcing its status as an informal reading resource. Cassany ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref146">11</reflink>]) describes this as the gap between institutional and local practices, while Pereira et al. ([<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref147">69</reflink>]) refer to it as the divide between formal and nonformal education. The overarching goals of education systems regarding the knowledge and skills students should possess may contribute to this gap, along with potential technological deficiencies, a lack of knowledge, or concerns about the content available on Wattpad (Pereira et al. [<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref148">69</reflink>]).</p> <p>The third finding of the study concerns adolescents' preferred reading devices. Adolescents use either digital tools exclusively or a combination of digital tools and printed books while engaging with works on Wattpad. Specifically, 39.8% of participants used digital devices exclusively for reading, while 34% used them for both reading and writing. This indicates that they diversify their reading experiences and are open to both digital reading—an integral aspect of new literacy—and printed books, which remain a crucial part of traditional literacy. This finding is particularly noteworthy because: a) adolescents who spend 6 h or more on Wattpad daily have the highest average reading habit scores and the lowest average digital addiction scores; and b) it underscores the growing tendency to rely on paper‐based mediums. The digitalization of reading is an undeniable reality of our time. The shift from traditional reading and writing activities to digital platforms has led to a reduced reliance on paper‐based mediums. Supporting this perspective, the IRA/NTCE ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref149">41</reflink>]) notes that most reading and writing activities are now conducted digitally, further contributing to this trend. Several researchers (Abang Yusof [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref150">1</reflink>]; Amirtharaj et al. [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref151">3</reflink>]; Baron [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref152">6</reflink>]; Loh and Sun [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref153">51</reflink>]; Merga [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref154">59</reflink>]; Merga [<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref155">58</reflink>]; Zhang and Kudva [<reflink idref="bib110" id="ref156">110</reflink>]) emphasize that individuals gravitate toward digital books due to their ease of access and usability. Therefore, it is natural for Wattpad users to prefer digital books among their reading tools.</p> <p>In their engagement with the platform, a significant portion of the participants identified as readers only, while a little over one‐third assumes both reader and writer roles, supporting earlier research (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref157">21</reflink>]; Fitriyah et al. ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref158">30</reflink>]). For example, Fitriyah et al. ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref159">30</reflink>]) reported that out of a research population of 75 individuals, 59 were readers, 15 were both readers and writers, and only one was a writer. Notably, no one identified themselves solely as writers. The role distribution evident in these studies reveals that Wattpad serves as a platform that fosters engagement among both readers and writers.</p> <p>Regarding the amount of daily time spent on Wattpad, our analysis reveals that 44.1% of participants dedicate up to 1 h, 18.2% spend about 2 h, and 21.1% spend around 3 h on the platform. Additionally, 7.9% of participants report spending 5 h, while 2.6% spend 6 h or more on Wattpad. These findings indicate that adolescents' interest in the platform varies, with some users incorporating Wattpad significantly into their daily routines. However, studies on the time allocated to reading books present diverse and sometimes contradictory results. For instance, a study conducted in the USA between 2014 and 2022 reported that the average daily reading time for young people is just 15 min (Watson [<reflink idref="bib100" id="ref160">100</reflink>]). In contrast, the fact that adolescents engage with Wattpad content for at least an hour suggests that the platform may contribute to an increase in overall reading time.</p> <p>Concerning the preferred genres on Wattpad, fantasy and crime fiction genres are prominent in adolescents' Wattpad reading, while science fiction and action also enjoy popularity. Conversely, romance, historical, and comedy are less favored. This trend suggests that adolescents are generally in search of adventure and excitement. However, these findings are not consistent with other studies in the literature. For instance, crAk Başoğul ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref161">21</reflink>]) found that romance and science fiction were more popular among his sample of 20 participants. Similarly, García‐Roca and De‐Amo ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref162">34</reflink>]) noted that stories centered on romantic relationships and narratives conforming to fantasy conventions dominate the platform. As such, genre preferences on Wattpad can vary significantly. Pozzoni ([<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref163">72</reflink>]) attributes the interest in diverse genres to the platform's optional nature of literary practice: its vast and constantly updated offerings encourage users to quickly sample the first lines of new publications and, if they find them uninteresting, to swiftly move on to another text. Like other platforms with similar systems, Wattpad fosters a pattern of inconsistent and ephemeral consumption of cultural products within the framework of an extreme attention economy (Pozzoni [<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref164">72</reflink>]). These inconsistent findings may stem from the unequal number and age group of the participants. This preference for digital genres is complemented by traditional reading habits outside of Wattpad, highlighting the diverse ways in which adolescents engage with literature.</p> <p>Reading adolescents' reading habits outside of Wattpad, we found that the vast majority of adolescents read print books other than Wattpad works, indicating a continued habit of engaging with traditional reading materials.</p> <p>More than half of these adolescents reported that they do not share what they read outside of Wattpad, while 45.8% stated that they do share their reading experiences. In stark contrast, the vast majority of adolescents (87.1%) shared their readings on the platform with their peers followed by family members and relatives respectively. This finding aligns well with the spirit of the new literacy model which emphasizes social networking and sharing. New digital technologies facilitate innovative ways of sharing and accessing meaningful content (Leu et al. [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref165">49</reflink>]). Unlike the one‐sided interaction typically found in traditional literacy, a collaborative form of literacy has emerged, allowing readers to assume multiple roles (Cassany [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref166">10</reflink>]). This shift indicates that today's youth do not perceive their online experiences as separate from real life but rather as an extension of it (Paolantoni [<reflink idref="bib66" id="ref167">66</reflink>]). Consequently, adolescents' engagement with Wattpad is not merely an isolated reading activity in a virtual environment; it is a digital reading experience that they share within their social relationships, particularly with peers. The platform is designed to connect users with others who share their passion for reading and writing, facilitating the formation of new relationships and friendships (García‐Roca [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref168">33</reflink>]). As García‐Roca and De‐Amo ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref169">34</reflink>]) noted, Wattpad is viewed as a prestigious and socially relevant community—a social network that encourages literate actions without coercive suggestions, where members can form emotional bonds with one another.</p> <p>The analysis of the relationship between adolescents' use of Wattpad and their reading habits revealed some intriguing findings. Wattpad‐using adolescents exhibited moderate reading habits. They displayed average engagement in general reading practices, perform reading‐related activities at an average level, possessed an average perception of reading, and utilized technology in reading activities at a comparable level. It would be expected that adolescents engaged in a practice central to today's literacy should have higher reading habits—particularly in the dimension of utilizing technology in reading. However, all metrics reflect an average level, indicating that this expectation may be tempered by the evolving nature of reading. García‐Roca and De‐Amo ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref170">34</reflink>]) suggest that for adolescents, reading is not merely an individual activity but a context for developing social identities. Similarly, Saez ([<reflink idref="bib81" id="ref171">81</reflink>]) views young people's literary habits as not isolated activities but rather as connections that help form friendships through shared reading interests. In this sense, reading habits among adolescents serve both as a reading activity and as a means of socialization in virtual or real‐world environments. Moreover, the 2018 International Assessment Report indicates that despite increasing literacy demands, 15‐year‐olds worldwide are reading less in their free time (Loh and Sun [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref172">51</reflink>]). Based on the findings of this study and the literature, it can be concluded that adolescents use Wattpad more as a channel for communication, interaction, and socialization rather than as a mere reading activity.</p> <p>This finding can also be examined from another perspective. The growing popularity of digital reading platforms like Wattpad is reshaping the reading habits of young people, revealing dynamics distinct from traditional reading practices. The widespread concern that book reading among adolescents has declined in recent years (Faggella‐Luby et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref173">28</reflink>]; Madhuri and Babu [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref174">53</reflink>]; McKenna et al. [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref175">57</reflink>]) may be addressed through the effective use of digital reading tools and platforms. The moderate reading habits of adolescents on Wattpad could lay the groundwork for developing their reading motivation and habits. In fact, the percentage of individuals believing that reading e‐books positively affects children's and adolescents' reading motivation increased from 33% in 2010% to 49% in 2012 (Picton and Clark [<reflink idref="bib71" id="ref176">71</reflink>]). Therefore, the moderate reading habits of adolescents who use Wattpad can be interpreted as an early sign that the interest in and habits of reading, which had decreased in earlier years, may be starting to revive.</p> <p>Findings concerning the influence of age and gender on adolescents' reading habits yielded interesting results. While age was not a significant factor influencing adolescents' reading habits in general, a notable exception was observed among children aged 12 and 14, who exhibited higher mean scores than their counterparts. This merits attention as it suggests a potential relationship between age and reading habits among this age group. Our findings align with those of Sainsbury and Schagen ([<reflink idref="bib82" id="ref177">82</reflink>]), who found no significant correlation between age and reading habits. However, higher reading habit scores among 12‐ and 14‐year‐olds indicate that individuals in this age group engage more in reading activities or have developed better reading habits. Sainsbury and Schagen ([<reflink idref="bib82" id="ref178">82</reflink>]) noted no significant differences in the reading attitudes and pleasures of children aged 9–11, although they observed a tendency for reading pleasure to decline with increasing age. Nevertheless, our findings contradict numerous researchers who highlighted age as a significant variable influencing reading habits (Clark and Foster [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref179">18</reflink>]; Twist et al. [<reflink idref="bib98" id="ref180">98</reflink>]; Yıldız et al. [<reflink idref="bib108" id="ref181">108</reflink>]). It is worth noting that the age ranges compared in these studies typically fall into broader categories such as childhood, adolescence, youth, and older age. In conclusion, the impact of being in the same age group on reading habits appears to be limited, indicating that other factors may play a more substantial role in the development of reading habits.</p> <p>Gender significantly influences adolescents' reading habits, with girls consistently exhibiting higher reading scores than boys, as demonstrated in various studies (Chiu and McBride‐Chang [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref182">14</reflink>]; Clark and Foster [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref183">18</reflink>]; Clark and Foster [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref184">19</reflink>]; Logan and Johnston [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref185">50</reflink>]; Mullis et al. [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref186">61</reflink>]; Twist et al. [<reflink idref="bib98" id="ref187">98</reflink>]; Yıldız et al. [<reflink idref="bib108" id="ref188">108</reflink>]).</p> <p>A positive correlation was found between the duration of following Wattpad and reading habits. Specifically, adolescents who had been using Wattpad for 3–4 years demonstrated stronger reading habits compared to those who had been using the platform for shorter periods. This suggests that Wattpad plays a significant role in adolescents' lives and influences their reading behaviors. However, the observed decline in reading habits among users with 5 or more years of experience should not be overlooked. This trend suggests that after 5 years, Wattpad may function independently of traditional reading habits. It is important to recognize that Wattpad is part of digital social reading. As Pianzola et al. ([<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref189">70</reflink>]) note, there is not a single reading habit but rather multiple ways to engage with reading. Consequently, contemporary reading habits are developing a unique identity based on digital and social frameworks, moving away from classical reading practices. Like the duration of Wattpad use, the daily time spent on the platform was found to positively influence reading habits. Adolescents who dedicated more time to Wattpad exhibited stronger reading habits. Adolescents who spend 6 h or more on Wattpad daily have the highest average reading habit scores and the lowest average digital addiction scores. This finding suggests the existence of a distinct group that sees Wattpad as a crucial part of their reading practices, setting it apart from digital addiction. This result aligns with the concepts of digital social reading and transmedia literacy, which are integral to today's reading culture. The consumption and production of digital content have become embedded in the daily lives of young people (Guerrero‐Pico et al. [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref190">35</reflink>]), and adolescents actively engage in this process through Wattpad. This trend in Wattpad usage also raises concerns about potential digital addiction.</p> <p>One of the most important findings of this study concerns whether Wattpad use leads to digital addiction. As is widely known, adolescents are particularly susceptible to digital addiction. However, our findings highlight a notable nonlinear relationship between the time spent on Wattpad and the mean scores of digital addiction; specifically, users who spend the most time on Wattpad daily have the lowest mean digital addiction score. Our findings suggest that Wattpad users engage with digital tools at a moderate frequency. While they exhibited minimal tendencies to neglect other activities, experience mood swings, recycle negative behaviors related to digital use, and occasionally engage in deceptive behaviors regarding their screen time, these behaviors were not prevalent at high levels. These observations provide partial support for Rodas and Claudia's ([<reflink idref="bib79" id="ref191">79</reflink>]) research, which indicates that Wattpad users can sometimes ignore their responsibilities, such as skipping meals, sacrificing sleep, and neglecting to complete homework and chores due to time spent on the platform. Similarly, Peper and Harvey ([<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref192">68</reflink>]) caution that increased reliance on digital content may contribute to feelings of loneliness, foster anxiety and depression, and negatively affect social interactions, academic performance, and overall quality of life.</p> <p>Regarding the correlation between age, gender, and time spent on Wattpad daily and reading habits, striking observations were made. We found that gender did not appear to be a significant factor influencing digital addiction among adolescent Wattpad users. In other words, the psychological and social behaviors of boys and girls regarding digital use are similar. However, studies investigating internet addiction—often considered synonymous with digital addiction—reveal that males tend to exhibit higher levels of addiction in various contexts (Chen et al. [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref193">13</reflink>]; Cho et al. [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref194">15</reflink>]; Choi et al. [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref195">16</reflink>]; Ko et al. [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref196">45</reflink>]; Mari et al. [<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref197">56</reflink>]; Yen et al. [<reflink idref="bib103" id="ref198">103</reflink>]; Yu and Shek [<reflink idref="bib106" id="ref199">106</reflink>]). For instance, Mari et al. ([<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref200">56</reflink>]) found that women generally utilized digital platforms for social interaction, while men were more inclined to use them for diverse purposes, particularly online gaming and explicit content, contributing to differences in usage patterns. Similarly, Chen et al. ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref201">13</reflink>]) noted that men were more likely to be addicted to the internet, computers, and online games than women.</p> <p>Similar to gender, age does not significantly impact digital addiction overall. However, 11‐year‐old adolescents, the youngest group in this study, exhibited stronger digital addiction than their older peers. This observation may be linked to the gradual development of self‐control in children (Huang [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref202">39</reflink>]), suggesting that older adolescents generally exhibit greater self‐control than 11‐year‐olds. Research on the relationship between age and digital addiction has produced mixed results. For instance, Ding and Li ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref203">24</reflink>]) noted that digital addiction is more prevalent among individuals across a broad age range, while Aydıner Boylu and Günay ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref204">5</reflink>]) found that among university students, digital addiction tends to increase with age. Conversely, Yu and Shek ([<reflink idref="bib106" id="ref205">106</reflink>]), who studied a cohort similar to the target group of our investigation, found that age did not significantly influence digital addiction, aligning with our findings. In conclusion, although the age factor may diverge in studies involving a wider range of ages, it appears to have a limited effect on digital addiction among adolescents.</p> <p>In defining digital addiction, Vaghela ([<reflink idref="bib99" id="ref206">99</reflink>]) emphasizes excessive interaction with technology, particularly regarding the amount of time spent. The relationship between the duration of Wattpad usage and digital addiction suggests that longer periods of Wattpad usage are associated with higher levels of digital addiction. Specifically, adolescents who have been using the platform for 5 years or more show notably higher addiction levels. This could indicate that prolonged engagement with Wattpad may lead to increased digital addiction; however, it may also reflect an underlying tendency toward digital engagement in general. The distinctions between users with varying lengths of engagement further imply that while longer usage correlates with higher addiction levels, it does not necessarily mean that Wattpad is the sole contributor to digital addiction. These patterns suggest that adolescents who are naturally predisposed to digital engagement or addiction may also be more likely to spend extended periods on platforms like Wattpad. The negative correlation between reading habits and digital addiction is particularly telling. As reading habits increase, levels of digital addiction tend to decrease. This finding suggests that reading on Wattpad might have a mitigating effect on addiction levels, indicating that the quality and nature of engagement with the reading material could be more significant than the sheer amount of time spent on the platform. In conclusion, while the duration of Wattpad use does correlate with digital addiction levels, this relationship may reflect broader patterns of digital engagement tied to individual reading habits. Thus, these findings should be viewed within the larger context of adolescent media consumption, rather than attributing digital addiction solely to Wattpad usage.</p> <p>In studies examining the impact of digital platforms on addiction—though not specifically focused on Wattpad—a correlation has been observed between time spent online and addictive behaviors. For example, Chaudron ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref207">12</reflink>]) reported for the European Commission that parents noted young children who spent excessive time watching television or using computers faced difficulties with concentration and social interactions, often resorting to information programs as a solution. Furthermore, parents who limited or eliminated screen time as a remedy indicated that they frequently experienced defiance, disobedience, and, in some cases, aggressive reactions from their children (Young [<reflink idref="bib105" id="ref208">105</reflink>]). These examples further support our findings regarding the relationship between time spent on digital platforms and digital addiction.</p> <p>Overall, the analysis of the relationship between reading habits and digital addiction among adolescents using Wattpad in this study indicates a significant negative correlation. In other words, we found that as the reading habits of these adolescents increased, their digital addiction tended to decrease. This finding contradicts the findings of some research while supporting some others. The negative correlation that was found between reading habits and digital addiction in this study contradicts that of Sert Ağır ([<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref209">86</reflink>]) and Rabang et al. ([<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref210">74</reflink>]). In her study on psychological characteristics of young people using Wattpad, Sert Ağır discovered adverse effects of using Wattpad, such as higher levels of interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety, alongside addiction and lower abilities to regulate social interactions. Rabang et al.'s ([<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref211">74</reflink>]) study produced mixed results. Rabang et al. observed that Filipino junior high school student users of this platform exhibited reading addiction, displaying adverse effects, such as irritability, reduced interest in socializing with loved ones, poor time management, health neglect, and increased profanity. However, they also underscored the positive outcomes including improvements in reading habits, maturity, self‐reflection, motivation, creative imagination, and a love for reading developed through consistent engagement with Wattpad.</p> <p>As an application of new literacy, Wattpad necessitates a high level of multiliteracy within an evolving technological landscape—skills that are not yet fundamentally integrated into the basic literacy curriculum in schools (Skains [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref212">90</reflink>]). However, some recent studies (crAk Başoğul [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref213">21</reflink>]; Anggitasari et al. [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref214">4</reflink>]; Dewi et al. 2022; Ersöz and Şentürk [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref215">27</reflink>]; Nafiul Faqih et al. [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref216">62</reflink>]; Hanifah and Bharati [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref217">37</reflink>]; Rodas and Claudia [<reflink idref="bib79" id="ref218">79</reflink>]) have explored the development of reading and writing skills through Wattpad use, demonstrating its potential for enhancing these abilities.</p> <p>This study presents several significant educational and social implications. The implications of integrating findings from this study into educational practices are significant and multifaceted. First and foremost, educators could be provided with relevant training to understand the dynamics of platforms like Wattpad and improve their competence in utilizing Wattpad effectively, thereby increasing the benefits of digital reading while mitigating risks such as digital addiction. Additionally, educators can provide students with the tools needed to maneuver and analyze the vast landscape of digital narratives by implementing programs that integrate digital literacy with critical reading skills. This approach will prepare students for the complexities of modern literacy, fostering an environment of critical engagement with diverse forms of storytelling.</p> <p>Furthermore, students' educational experiences could also be enriched through interdisciplinary projects that encourage them to explore the connections of literacy, technology, and social issues. These projects would deepen their understanding of the cultural implications of digital storytelling and cultivate critical thinking. Also, user‐generated content could be incorporated into the courses to improve students' motivation to read and write. By encouraging students to publish their own stories, educators can nurture a sense of ownership and self‐expression while encouraging critical analysis of their peers' work. Lastly, students should be provided with assessment tools to evaluate digital reading practices.</p> <p>Peer influence on Wattpad should also be scrutinized to gain critical insights into how social dynamics shape adolescent reading behaviors and attitudes. By investigating these interactions, educators and policymakers can better understand the role of peer relationships in digital reading practices, which can lead to designing interventions and amending curricula to harness positive peer influence. A deeper understanding of the dual impact of Wattpad on social interactions can help educators effectively address challenges related to digital addiction, allowing them to implement strategies that maintain healthy digital consumption while fostering a love for reading.</p> <p>The study offers several suggestions to effectively use Wattpad and enhance literacy education to create a healthy digital reading environment. First, it is imperative to formulate clear guidelines for using Wattpad alongside traditional reading materials. These regulations should specify how and when to utilize Wattpad to encourage a harmonious approach that recognizes the value of both digital and print media. Additionally, providing parents with tips for setting time limits and monitoring content will help prevent excessive use and ensure that children engage with age‐appropriate material.</p> <p>Furthermore, curriculum integration could be done to maximize the educational potential of Wattpad by designing specific lessons that involve reading, analyzing, and writing stories on the platform, alongside discussions focused on digital literacy. Students could be encouraged to create collaborative projects, such as writing contests and peer‐review sessions that can build a supportive community and enhance writing skills. Students could be provided with lists of recommended stories that align with educational goals to ensure that students are exposed to valuable and appropriate materials, reinforcing their learning while navigating the digital landscape. Last but not least, parents should also be involved through organized workshops that educate them about the benefits of Wattpad, engagement strategies, and the importance of digital citizenship.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-28">Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research</hd> <p>With its comprehensive data sources and large participant pool, this study has provided valuable insights into the complex relationship between adolescents' use of Wattpad and various participant features. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to certain limitations.</p> <p>The first limitation of the study concerns the participant selection method. As the data were collected using convenience sampling, it is possible that only participants who might already have a positive attitude toward using Wattpad and a predisposition toward reading volunteered for the study. This limitation may affect the generalizability of our findings. Therefore, employing random selection of participants in future studies might yield more generalizable results.</p> <p>Secondly, the study's data came mostly from female adolescents. First, future research should aim to increase the diversity of the sample by actively recruiting male adolescents and participants from various demographic backgrounds. This can be achieved by collaborating with schools and community organizations that serve a more balanced population, ensuring that findings are representative of the entire adolescent demographic. Additionally, researchers can implement comparative studies that specifically focus on the differences in reading behaviors and attitudes between male and female adolescents. By exploring these differences, researchers can gain deeper insights into the unique experiences and preferences of each gender, which can help create more inclusive educational materials and strategies. Finally, longitudinal studies could be conducted to track changes in reading behaviors and attitudes over time across different genders. This would offer valuable insights into how adolescent reading engagement evolves, allowing for more tailored interventions that are sensitive to the needs of various groups. By expanding the focus of future research and including a more balanced sample, findings will be more generalizable and applicable across a broader adolescent audience.</p> <p>Third, this study relied exclusively on quantitative data. Integrating qualitative data in future investigations would deepen our understanding of adolescents' experiences with Wattpad.</p> <p>Fourth, while the research indicated that Wattpad serves as an interactive platform for adolescents primarily engaged in reading and writing, it did not assess the quality of the content produced. Subsequent studies should examine the nature of this interaction and the quality of the resulting works.</p> <p>Another limitation concerns the absence of parental perspectives on adolescents' use of Wattpad. This study relied largely on data provided by the adolescents themselves, which may not represent the complete picture. Future studies should consider including parents' views to gain a more holistic understanding of the impact of Wattpad on young users.</p> <p>Finally, there is a lack of insight into formal educational institutions' stances on students' use of Wattpad. Research in this area is necessary to explore how schools perceive and potentially integrate this platform into educational contexts.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-29">Conclusion</hd> <p>This study employed a quantitative research design to examine the correlations between adolescents' age, gender, reading habits, addiction, daily time spent on, and duration of usage of the Wattpad platform.</p> <p>One of the key findings is that the majority of participants use the platform primarily for reading, while just over one‐third engage in both reading and writing. Another significant result indicates that gender, total time spent on the platform, and daily usage duration are important factors influencing adolescents' reading habits. Conversely, age does not appear to have a definitive impact on these habits.</p> <p>Furthermore, the findings reveal a significant negative correlation between adolescents' reading habits and their digital addiction; specifically, greater reading habits are linked to lower levels of digital addiction. Additionally, negative correlations were observed between gender and digital addiction, as well as between age and digital addiction. However, increased daily time spent on Wattpad was associated with heightened levels of digital addiction among participants. Ultimately, we found that enhanced reading habits contributed to a decrease in digital addiction levels among adolescents.</p> <p>Overall, these findings suggest that Wattpad has emerged as a new phenomenon, operating independently of traditional reading habits and digital use. The existence, limitations, and implications of the concept of "Wattpad Addiction" concerning excessive use of the platform should be explored further in future research. Specifically, a more precise and context‐sensitive measurement tool is needed to assess the relationship between Wattpad usage and digital addiction effectively.</p> <p>Adolescent girls represent a significant demographic among Wattpad users. This group engages with the Wattpad platform, often discovering it through friends and social media, primarily in the role of readers. Their sharing behaviors emphasize that the purpose of adolescents using Wattpad is largely social. Thus, adolescents' reading habits have evolved from solitary, introverted activities into a social endeavor, fostering friendships and connections with peers who share similar reading interests.</p> <p>Wattpad, as a digital and peer‐based social interactive application, occupies a niche within informal education and has not yet been integrated into fundamental literacy skills. While it is considered a potential tool for teaching language skills, concerns regarding its content have led the formal education system to distance itself from the application. This scenario illustrates that schools are not yet prepared to embrace new literacy practices. It may be essential for schools to explore ways to formalize nonformal learning, carefully assess content and methodologies, structure them according to children's developmental levels, and align them with literacy practices. Similarly, content providers should investigate the reasons behind schools' hesitance to engage with Wattpad and take necessary measures to bridge this gap.</p> <p>In light of these critical findings, understanding the impact of Wattpad on adolescents' reading habits and digital addiction will be essential for educators and parents alike. While such platforms hold the potential to positively influence adolescents' reading practices, it is important to recognize that excessive use may lead to negative consequences.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-30">Consent</hd> <p>All participants provided written informed consent to participate in the study and to allow their data to be published.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-31">Conflicts of Interest</hd> <p>The authors declare no conflicts of interest.</p> <hd id="AN0187257393-32">Data Availability Statement</hd> <p>The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.</p> <p>GRAPH: Appendices.</p> <ref id="AN0187257393-33"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref38" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Abang Yusof, D. A. 2021. " Reading Habits Among Students in the Digital Era: Changes of Trends and Behaviours." 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Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1479848
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Adolescent Usage of Wattpad: Reading Habit or Digital Addiction?
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Berker+Kurt%22">Berker Kurt</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4788-0909">0000-0003-4788-0909</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ümit+Yildiz%22">Ümit Yildiz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0415-8051">0000-0003-0415-8051</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Basak+Eda+Hanci-Azizoglu%22">Basak Eda Hanci-Azizoglu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ersen+Vural%22">Ersen Vural</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hüseyin+Kafes%22">Hüseyin Kafes</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0697-8312">0000-0002-0697-8312</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Psychology+in+the+Schools%22"><i>Psychology in the Schools</i></searchLink>. 2025 62(9):2999-3018.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 20
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Habits%22">Reading Habits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Handheld+Devices%22">Handheld Devices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Publishing%22">Electronic Publishing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Oriented+Programs%22">Computer Oriented Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Addictive+Behavior%22">Addictive Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Use+Studies%22">Use Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Uses+in+Education%22">Technology Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Books%22">Electronic Books</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/pits.23518
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0033-3085<br />1520-6807
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: One of the gifts of the Digital Age in the field of literacy is Wattpad, a digital social reading application. The Wattpad platform is the world's largest reading network, with millions of users and diverse content. Within this context of significance and relevance, this study aims to reveal the interactions of adolescents using Wattpad, their reading habits, and their digital addiction, as well as to make relational comparisons among these factors. Data for the study were collected from 379 adolescents using a quantitative survey design, employing three instruments: the Wattpad Usage Questionnaire, the Reading Habit Inventory, and the Digital Addiction Scale. The quantitative analysis of the findings indicates that adolescents exhibit varying levels of reading habits and digital addiction. A low-level negative correlation between reading habits and digital addiction was identified, suggesting that as reading habits increase, digital addiction tends to decrease. Notably, the most significant result of this study is that social interaction with peers, rather than reading habits or digital usage, is the primary factor influencing adolescents' Wattpad use. Moreover, it appears that Wattpad use has not yet been fully embraced by formal educational institutions. This study enhances our understanding of adolescents' use of Wattpad and offers pedagogical insights for stakeholders, along with significant implications for future research. The implications of this study extend beyond academic circles, calling for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaboratively foster environments that support healthy digital reading practices, thereby promoting balanced literacy development among adolescents.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1479848
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1479848
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/pits.23518
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 2999
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Habits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Handheld Devices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electronic Publishing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer Oriented Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Addictive Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Use Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Technology Uses in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electronic Books
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Adolescent Usage of Wattpad: Reading Habit or Digital Addiction?
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Berker Kurt
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ümit Yildiz
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Basak Eda Hanci-Azizoglu
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ersen Vural
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hüseyin Kafes
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0033-3085
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1520-6807
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 62
            – Type: issue
              Value: 9
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Psychology in the Schools
              Type: main
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