Examining the relation between media engagement and developmental outcomes in adolescents and emerging adults: an exploration of engagement with and impact of young adult literature media among youth

One part of this concerns "whether attitudes towards dating violence differed based on
engagement with Twilight vs. The Hunger Games media" (84) but it's the final section of this which seems to involve romance, described like this in the abstract:

The final study is a longitudinal project that examines literature media engagement specifically, and how this relates to behavioral, social, and identity formation development. Over 200 undergraduate students (78% female; 81% Nonwhite) participated in a two-wave study over the course of one semester. A newly developed survey on reading habits and preferences, as well questions related to peer and romantic relations, health-risk behavior, and identity processes was administered. The study is the first of its kind in examining how literature impacts development, specifically emerging adult development, and focuses particular attention to peer and romantic relationships, risk behaviors, and identity exploration. I find that emerging adults are prominent readers of young adult literature, and that themes and genres chosen by these readers are likely to impact developmental and behavioral outcomes. I also find that the strength of identification with media characters moderates these relationships. Implications are discussed.

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I found that students who preferred to read books categorized as Romance or Contemporary at Wave 1 showed significantly lower scores in parental and peer-related anxious attachment. This also held true when examining a mean score of anxious attachment across the different relationship types.

It is likely that youth who are spending more time reading these genres are seeing more varied representations of relationships, as well as more varied forms of conflict resolution, thus allowing them a wider array and understanding of what relationships can look like. In turn, this is likely providing an opportunity for youth to identify and experience more secure attachment patterns through a process of media socialization, as has been posited in previous media studies (Greenwood, 2008). (84-85)

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Students with increased villain identification scores who reported a preference for Romance or Contemporary genres at Wave 1 had a decreased probability of reporting substance use at Wave 2. Additionally, increased hero identification scores at Wave 1 were associated with a decreased probability of tobacco use at Wave 2 among Contemporary genre readers. Romance and Contemporary literature have many overlaps, specifically in that both genres focus primarily on relationships, although these relationships differ between genres. Romance novels focus specifically on romantic relationships, whereas modern Contemporary novels focus on a range of relationships which may include romantic ones, but often also include relationships between friends, siblings, or family members (Literary Terms, 2015). Additionally, Contemporary novels in YA focus on real life problems youth might be experiencing, such as family separation, school anxiety, or moving away from home. In these books, it might be difficult to ascertain a villain versus a hero, as all characters tend to be realistic portrayals of individuals. It is likely, therefore, that readers who tend to strongly identify with characters in general, be they heroes or villains, and who have a preference for novels that portray realistic, and oftentimes flawed, characters, are able to use this literature engagement in a healthy way, and as a protective factor against engaging in certain unhealthy behaviors that are common among emerging adults, such as substance use.

Furthermore, students with higher background homophily scores who reported a preference for Romance books at Wave 1 were more likely to have increased future aspirations scores at Wave 2. An important fact to keep in mind here is that, by definition, Romance novels have a happy ending (Literary Terms, 2015). Thus, students who are more likely to see themselves in novels, to identify with the background and status of their preferred characters, and who are also more likely to read books with happy endings, are likely to also have a more positive outlook towards their own futures. (99-100)