Application of Digital Technology in the Understanding of Young Adult Literature

Digital communications are thoughtfully influencing young adult communications. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how young adult novels portray digital communications features using text messages, e-mails, or blogs. This study explores adult authors’ representations of characters in young adult literature (YAL) using digital communication like text messaging, blogs, instant messaging (IM), social networking websites, and email. The argument is that digital communication presents a new feature of young adult literature which has not yet been satisfactorily and adequately explored. The paper examines how the incidence of digital communication in contemporary society is signified in texts developed for the teens by illustrating who, what, and why of digital communication found in the texts. The paper also examines meta-themes available in the texts as the characters themselves reveal how digital communication impacts their life. The study found that the young adult literature texts used many forms of communication to maintain the narrative voice including blogs, e-mail, IM, text messages and social networking sites. The themes of establishing interpersonal connections, constructing identity and relationships with family were also illustrated and portrayed through the texts.