Whereas having a copy of Pride and Prejudice might have felt magical, the digital age is increasingly reducing the literature experience to mere words void of any attachment. Traditionally, novels underwent a long production procedure, making their access a long, difficult, and pricey process for the masses. This made the possession and interaction with a novel a rare and valuable experience. However, the development of novel reading and writing applications made novels readily available with a single swipe on a screen. This shift portrays a modern day model of “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” a 1936 essay written by Walter Benjamin, in which he highlighted the changes in the people’s reception as well as valuing of artworks in response to the art’s production and accessibility. With a primary focus on the photography and film revolution, Benjamin claims that the advancement of mechanical reproduction of artworks deteriorates their “aura”, as it foregrounds the mass accessibility over retaining authenticity like the traditional art forms do. Similarly, by championing exhibition value of novels, Wattpad, one of these novel reading and writing applications, has gradually repressed the cult value and appreciation attached to written fiction.
With its easy search function, Wattpad encourages the maximum access of a novel to any willing reader unlike physical means which make books hard to access. As a tool for reproduction, Wattpad thrives on plurality over a unique existence (Benjamin II). With its swiftly navigable search features and filters, a user can have a book that matches their preferences in a few seconds on their screen. Along with that, its established recognitions like the Wattpad Choice nominations make writers advertise their best to get as many people as possible to read their books. With these efforts to ensure massive reads, there is a loss of a special feeling that would have come from reading or having a specific novel. Also, Wattpad foregrounds the exhibition value by eliminating any charges for accessing most of the books, or $4.99 – $7.49 per month for some “premium” books (Wattpad Premium | Supercharge Your Wattpad Experience). This charge, compared to typical charges on novels, is very low considering that it provides access to a lot of possible reads. Unlike some books that would have a few copies available against a largely demanding audience, Wattpad has one manuscript accessible by millions, even simultaneously. This also eliminates any special value that could have been derived from the cost of a certain book. Consequently, novels have become supplemental objects accessible and discardable by a tap. This highlights the loss in cult value that used to be attached to books.
Wattpad has downplayed the “aura” of novels. Like other digital mechanical production means, Wattpad underrates the reader’s unique experience with a novel in a physical “place where it happens to be.” (Benjamin II). By providing digital access, Wattpad has diminished the personal interaction with a physical book. Small acts like leaving personal bookmarks on a favorite line or folding a favorite page have been made impossible or, at very least, more tedious than it used to be. Like films described by Benjamin, Wattpad encourages passive interaction rather than an active engagement with the book (Benjamin XV). This makes a novel feel like a far-detached element which tends to push the reader away from feeling a connection with the novels besides perceiving it as a collection of words. Additionally, digitization made it impossible to give a novel as a gift which would have given the novel some cult value. Even if Wattpad provides a share option, it is undeniable that a physical book handed to someone feels more intimate than a link in their inbox. All this shows how Wattpad has gradually suppressed sentimental acts that used to be associated with novels which was a necessity for the cult appreciation of books.
Wattpad also challenges the traditional literary authenticity. Unlike most art production mediums, Wattpad offers a direct communication link between the writer and the readers with its interactive comments feature. This means that in some cases, readers’ comments or pressure can influence the writer into deciding the direction of their storyline. This leaves a question of whether authorship is the writer’s alone, given that a lot of people potentially contribute their ideas to the product. In addition, a wattpad novel is always open for the writer’s future editing, which contradicts the typical static nature of novels. With such constant evolution, it is impossible to determine an ‘authentic’ storyline, as it can always change at any time. Equally important, Wattpad facilitates anyone to write and readily publish a novel without the traditional long process of scrutiny by publishers. With this stories can be copied and mostly with no real acknowledgement, leaving the original idea owner vulnerable to potential copycats. This proves that even in the cases reproduction won’t harm the original art, “the quality of its presence is always depreciated” (Benjamin II). This effect can be noted in how most readers have grown distasteful and discouraged from trying anymore books from certain genres as they expect them to be cliché like any other. This loss in authenticity has fueled the erosion of the uniqueness of most novels, consequently altering most readers’ experience with literature into a disheartening one.
The growth of digital novel reading and writing applications, like Wattpad, has undoubtedly revolutionised the written fiction realm by encouraging its mass access over its uniqueness and rarity. While Wattpad has been a door for written literature enthusiasts to access stories and practise their literature skills, it has been increasingly leaving its users feeling overwhelmed by the current emptiness of the modern day novel works, an unfair representation of other traditionally published novel works. It is important for readers to explore more novels beyond the limitations of specific softwares and to seek a balance between the digital and physical reading experience. Even amidst the blur of clichés and eroded originality, the realm of literary fiction still overflows with unique stories worthy of experiencing, readers only need to sail beyond their ingrained dependence on digital algorithms’ suggestions.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.”
Illuminations. Translated by Harry Zohn, edited by Hannah Arendt, Schocken
Books, 1969, pp. 1-26.Wattpad Premium | Supercharge Your Wattpad Experience. www.wattpad.com/premium.