The development of online literature is hindered and long-term,"opportunities and dangers" brought about by commercialization

Throughout the past 20 years, the development of online literature has almost the same frequency as the surge in social and cultural consumption needs in China and the development of Internet technology.

. If we take the launch of the first Chinese original works website "Under the Banyan Tree" in 1997 as the starting point, it has been just 20 years since the development of online literature in China. From novelty to commonplace, from marginalization to commercialization, regardless of subjective will, online literature has become an indispensable part of the development of contemporary literature and is destined to be written into the history of contemporary literature.

Throughout the past 20 years, the development of online literature has almost the same frequency as the surge in social and cultural consumption needs in China and the development of Internet technology. This is no accident. In history, the rise of commercial writing similar to online literature has mostly been accompanied by the expansion of the citizen class and the "awakening" of cultural consumption. However, the development of Internet technology since the new century has easily demolished the invisible wall between writers, writers and readers, exponentially expanding the demand and space at both ends of supply and demand.

In a survey on popular culture in colleges and universities, some scholars found that reading online articles and chasing stars together constitute an important landscape of popular culture in colleges and universities. In fact, not only school students, farmers, white-collar workers, migrant workers, etc. have long been fans of online literature, and the trend of younger online literature audiences is obvious. According to a data released by Palm Reading Literature last year, 39% of the audience were under the age of 21, and 38% were those aged 22 to 29. The vast majority of the audience was concentrated in the post-90s and post-00s.

Although different ages, identities, and temperaments are different, you can always find the "one" that suits you in online literature, which is equally complex in types and sizes. Whether it is fantasy, traveling through, or tomb robbery or indulging in beauty, online literature provides a reading experience that combines "immersion" and "surprise". The unique effect of this spiritual lubricant and the corresponding social, cultural and psychological needs it meets are one of the main reasons behind the surge of online literature.

In this way, intentionally or unintentionally, online literature emerged freely and assumed part of the cultural and entertainment functions. After that, the paid subscription business model emerged, and online literature became unstoppable. The innovation of business models did allow relevant websites and writers to survive at that time, gaining the capital and foundation for survival, but its more important significance was that it reconstructed the relationship between readers and writers, and also made the current hot "fan economy" precipitated and accumulated crazily at that time.

But as the saying goes, opportunities are commercialized, and crises are commercialized. After successful industrialization, more direct audience pressure and established industry characteristics have made the path of "signing contracts" and even "becoming a god" more "difficult and long" for writers. Moreover, with the formation of related industrial chains, the value of online literature, which is regarded as a big "IP" bonanza, has also been reassessed. However, excessive catering to capital and the market has caused online literature to face problems such as narrowing concepts, simplifying content, and driving out good money by bad money.

If "stigmatization" has been the first development crisis of online literature in the past 20 years, then the current capital guidance is the second development crisis. The multi-source content and community harmony, the richness of vision and the freshness and expansibility of imagination that people expect of online literature are collapsing under the discipline of capital.

It is time to unleash new possibilities for the development of online literature. Of course, this requires setting up a "ruler" for the evaluation system, building a "wall" for intellectual property protection, and building a clean net "air conditioner" to clean the air. However, the most fundamental thing is to consolidate one's own cultural genes. As the saying goes, recognize where tomorrow is going and never forget where yesterday came from.

Editor: Mary