The Effects of Interactive Webtoon Components on Flow: Focus on the Mediation Effect of Telepresence

This study aims to identify the components of interactive webtoons and examine the structural relationships between these components, flow, and telepresence. An online survey was conducted with 200 participants in their 20s and 30s who had experience reading interactive webtoons. Based on a review of previous studies, the components of interactive webtoons(artistic value, entertainment value, pictorial design, and interaction effect) were set as independent variables, with telepresence as a mediating variable to verify its structural influence on flow. The main findings are as follows: First, artistic value, entertainment value, pictorial design, and interaction effect all had a statistically significant positive effect on readers' flow. Second, telepresence was found to partially mediate the relationship between the components of interactive webtoons and flow. Based on these results, this study proposes strategies and directions for the production of interactive webtoons and discusses theoretical implications.