Core point: "The pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty is the eternal value of literature and art." Based on the hot social practice, we should shoulder the new mission of literature, and with fewer "pits", online literature will be able to gain more resonance and move towards a broader world.
Not long ago, a star posted his online book list on the social platform, which resonated with many netizens. How popular is online literature? One out of every three Chinese people is reading online literature. The recently released 2023 Blue Book of Chinese Online Literature shows that the number of online literature users in China has reached 520 million. Looking at the industrial scale, the statistics of 50 key online literature platforms in China show that in 2023, the revenue of online literature will be about 34 billion yuan, and the overseas market will exceed 4 billion yuan.
After more than 20 years of development, network literature, which was controversial at birth, has become a cultural phenomenon that cannot be ignored. Compared with traditional literature, online literature has a lower threshold for creation and reading, and is characterized by interactivity and daily life. At one time, many readers sniffed at online literature and thought that its literary taste was not high. Today, with the progress of Internet technology and the upgrading of the creative team, the creative field and dissemination radius of online literature continue to expand, and high-quality masterpieces continue to emerge. From 2019 to 2023, 123 works will be collected in the National Edition Museum in the form of digital collections.
From the fantasy world created out of thin air to the steaming real life, from the battle field to the boundless universe, network literature reflects the myriad phenomena of social development, gains a number of supporters, and also leverages the new development of the cultural industry. At present, Internet literature IP has become an important source of content in the cultural industry. From online novel serials to film, television, drama, animation, games, micro skits and other forms of adaptation, online literature continues to expand its commercial landscape. By the end of 2023, the total number of authorized online literature adapted films and TV plays has exceeded 3000. Popular dramas such as Legend of Zhen Huan, Langya Bang and Celebrating the Past Years are all adapted from online literature.
Not only is the scenery unique here, but many online literature works also travel across the sea, becoming an important carrier to show the world the soft power of Chinese culture. In 2023, the total number of overseas active users of Chinese online literature will be nearly 200 million, of which "Generation Z" will account for 80%, covering most countries and regions in the world. A number of online literature works, such as "Big Power Heavy Industry", "Husband", "Big Doctor Lingran", "Wisdom of the Song Dynasty", were included in the British Library. The Chinese culture with a long history and profound connotation and the rich, diverse and vivid Chinese stories have aroused sympathy and resonance around the world, and also promoted cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
Network literature is full of vitality and potential, but there is also a situation of "many stars and unknown moon". For example, the homogenization and patterning of online literature still exist, and some works are biased, not high in style, and deviate from the mainstream values; For another example, some creators excessively pursue output, drag out the plot to gather words, conduct bottomless and child like charges, and overdraw the future of the industry; For another example, the low cost of infringement and high cost of rights protection make online literature a "disaster area" for piracy, which makes people in the industry miserable.
The "pit" of network literature chaos should be filled by the system. When network literature gradually moves from the edge to the center and from subculture to the mainstream, moral and legal constraints should also keep up. In recent years, from the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of Online Literature to the list of online literature influence issued by Chinese Writers Association and other institutions, to the Notice on Strengthening the Copyright Management of Online Literature, a series of measures have been taken to create a better environment for the high-quality development of online literature. For creators, they should also abandon the persistent problems of homogenization and routinization of creation, constantly open their own vision of observation, create with the times, leave voice for the times, and promote the kaleidoscope of online literature to be more colorful.
"The pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty is the eternal value of literature and art." The flourishing era contains rich literary resources. Based on the hot social practice, and shouldering the new mission of literature, with fewer "pits", online literature will be able to gain more resonance and move towards a broader world. (Liang Yu, commentator of China Economic Network)
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