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Top1. Introduction
The rapid development of mobile Internet technology has resulted in substantial changes in the way people read. The use of mobile devices for reading has become mainstream as a new reading mode on mobile platforms (Hellermann, Thorne & Fodor, 2017). In the field of reading promotion, the use of mobile devices for reading is becoming an indispensable part of the public’s daily life (Wang, Chiu, Ho & Lo, 2016). The emergence of mobile devices for reading has brought both immense opportunities and challenges related to the promotion of digital reading. A 2019 report indicated that the number of active users of mobile devices for reading in China reached 350 million RMB. In addition, the market size reached 20.49 billion RMB, with a year-on-year increase of 22.4% (iResearch, 2020).
Although the use of mobile devices for reading occupies most of the market share, users consistently shift. While maintaining the growth of the use of mobile devices for the reading community, preventing the loss of mobile devices for reading users has become an important issue for digital reading promoters (Zhao & Ren, 2017). Therefore, the focus on the rapid development of the use of mobile devices for reading necessitates an analysis of the factors that influence the use of mobile devices for reading users’ continuous use behaviors. In addition, we must promote the sustainable development of mobile devices for reading.
The use of mobile devices for reading refers to accessing, receiving, or downloading electronic resources through a wireless or mobile communication network for reading, particularly on a handheld portable device (Zhang, 2011). In the current study, the use of mobile devices for reading refers to the use of mobile terminals to read novels, magazines, and newspapers, among others, through Web pages and bookstore clients.
The use of mobile devices for reading improves the utilization of fragmentation time, which refers to the break period in the user’s work and life that is affected by the diversification of needs (Nie et al., 2020). On the mobile Internet, fragmented time refers to the scattered times when people wait for elevators, buses, and subways, as well as getting in cars (Christensen & Knezek, 2018). Mobile Internet users can make full use of fragmented time to browse news, play games, and/or read e-books through mobile phones and tablets (Sarrab, Elbasir, & Alnaeli, 2016). Although these fragmented times are inconspicuous, they can produce important effects (Matronchik, Klyachin, & Khangulyan, 2018).
Variations in reading media have led to substantial changes in reading behaviors. A reading medium refers to the carrying and transmission of text based on text symbols, providing reading options rather than watching and listening. These materials are capable of direct physical contact with readers (i.e., books, newspapers, and magazines). They are based on paper-based printing techniques or digital information technology like computers, smart phones, and e-readers (Delgado, Vargas, Ackerman & Salmerón, 2018; Ghassemi et al., 2019). The reading medium mentioned in this paper refers to portable mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a prompt off/on button (Crompton, 2013).
The rapid development of the use of mobile devices for reading has resulted in the emergence of characteristics in users’ reading behaviors (Vasileiou, Hartley, & Rowley, 2009). Research on the use of mobile devices for reading behaviors has become a popular topic in the field of reading research. Others research hotspots include user preferences regarding mobile devices for reading, mobile device applications for reading in education, and factors influencing mobile device adoption behaviors for reading.
Previous studies on reading behaviors related to the use of mobile devices for reading (Konok, Pogány & Miklósi, 2017; Lin, 2014; Merga & Mat Roni, 2017; Park & Lee, 2019) found fragmented and segmented behaviors (Halevi, Moed & Bar-ILan, 2015; Nardi, 2016). Other studies determined that college students’ use of mobile devices for reading differs in terms of gender, grade, subject, and region (Ciampa, Thrasher, Marston & Revels, 2013). Researchers investigated college students’ use of mobile devices for reading by analyzing differences between e-reading and paper books in classroom learning (Halevi et al., 2015; Rasmusson, 2016).