Reader Responses to Online Literature in the Context of Converged Media

Online literature has become a vital component of both the cultural and entertainment sectors, shaped by the erasure of boundaries between them via converged media. Concurrently, it has been woven into the very fabric of mass entertainment consumer culture. There exist notable disparities between the critique standards and ecological environment of online literature and those of traditional literature. Among these, reader responses, with their vast numbers and widespread group influence, constitute the most vibrant segment of online literature criticism. Within the perspective of converged media, the reader response exhibits new views and expectations. It continuously integrates with new media, and the mechanisms of literary criticism are renewed. As a result, its diverse new forms are facilitated. This response mechanism further influences the interactive relationships among readers, authors, and works, shaping the overall ecosystem of online literature. Despite the innovations in form and dissemination methods, the essence of online literature remains literature. Therefore, leveraging converged media platforms, all stakeholders should work to build a healthy, sustainable ecosystem for online literature and its reader responses. They must provide standardized guidance and continually improving the mechanisms for the reader responses.