Reading in the Digital Age: Moderating Effects of Age and Sex on the Relationship between Social Media Usage and Reading Interest

In a world increasingly driven by rapid change and digital transformation, the ability to adapt, connect, and innovate has never been more essential. This study investigated the relationship between social media usage and reading interest among senior high school students at Lala Proper Integrated School during the 2024–2025 academic year, focusing on age and sex as potential moderators. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were gathered from 100 randomly selected students (50 males, 50 females) across GAS, HUMSS, and TVL strands through a validated three-part questionnaire measuring socio-demographic variables, reading interest, and social media usage. Descriptive statistics summarized participants’ profiles and reading behaviors, while moderation analysis in JAMOVI examined the influence of age and sex on the social media–reading interest relationship. Findings revealed that Facebook and TikTok were the most frequently used platforms, with students averaging over 3.5 hours weekly on each. Although students demonstrated high reading attitudes (Mean=2.50) and purposes (Mean=2.59), their actual reading engagement (Mean=2.21), preference (Mean=2.11), and overall reading interest (Mean=2.35) were low, highlighting a disconnect between recognizing reading’s value and practicing it during leisure time. A significant but weak positive correlation (r = 0.244, p = 0.015) indicated that greater social media usage was slightly associated with higher reading interest, suggesting that social media might coexist with or even encourage reading interest to some extent. Moderation analyses showed that while social media usage significantly predicted reading interest (p < 0.05), neither age (p = 0.447) nor sex (p = 0.847) moderated this relationship. This implies that the influence of social media on reading interest remains consistent regardless of students’ age or gender. These results suggest that interventions to promote reading through social media or digital platforms can be broadly applied without age- or sex-specific modifications.