ANALISIS MINAT MEMBACA SASTRA DIGITAL MELALUI PLATFORM WATTPAD PADA MAHASISWA

Abstract

The advancement of digital technology has shifted literary consumption patterns from print media to digital platforms, particularly among university students. This phenomenon raises questions about the extent of students' interest and engagement in reading literary works through the Wattpad platform. This study aims to describe the level of digital literary reading interest among university students via Wattpad, encompassing frequency patterns, duration, motivation, genre preferences, emotional responses, and reader engagement. A descriptive quantitative approach with a survey method was employed. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via Google Form to 51 university students from various higher education institutions across Indonesia in May 2026, using purposive sampling. The instrument comprised eleven closed-ended items covering conceptual understanding, reading frequency, media preferences, platform usage patterns, motivation, emotional responses, genre preferences, and active engagement. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency distributions and percentages. The results indicate that 98.0% of respondents correctly understand digital literature, and 94.1% remain active readers at least once per week. Some 88.2% use digital devices as their primary reading medium, and 78.4% have used Wattpad for more than three years. Digital accessibility emerged as the dominant motivating factor (51.0%), followed by content relevance (31.4%). Romance/Romantic Comedy was the most preferred genre (58.8%), while semi-active engagement was the predominant participation level (56.9%). This study concludes that Wattpad plays a strategic role in sustaining and enhancing digital literary reading interest among Indonesian university students.