Research request - I need your help!

Question for parents/carers of teens who are obsessed with technology... if this isn't you, you can safely stop reading if you want 😉

 

I've just been clonked over the head with an idea for my next YA novel. Just for a change I know the main characters name (Justin Case) and therefore his parents' surnames and I know the main theme running throughout the novel will be Mrs Case committing domestic violence on the dad, but that's all I know other than them being POC.

 

A common theme throughout the majority of my stories has been bullying of some kind 'cos I've been through it so it's very much been an Own Voice story each time up until recently, so I've been consciously trying to avoid that in my last few stories and I wanna try and steer clear of it in this novel too, but realise that due to the race and home situation of Justin and his dad, that may not be possible if I want it to be realistic fiction (which I do), which is totally OK, I just don't want it to be a central theme is all.

 

Sooo, those of you with teens who are obsessed with technology (but not necessarily a POC family or victims of domestic violence), could you let me know firstly what sort of technology the teen in your life is obsessed with (VR, video games, tablets, computers, mobile phones etc etc)? How desperate they are for the newest version that has just been released even if they've barely used their current technology? What sort of language do they use to (repeatedly) request it? What do they do/say when you say no? What sort of pleading/guilt trips do they use on you? etc etc 

 

Use a realistic but fake name for the teen you are talking about to protect their identity and email me at research@stories4childrengroup.com with as much detail as possible so that I can really get inside their head ready for planning and especially writing this novel.

 

If you can only help with one part of the story (your teen is a POC or you are both victims of domestic violence or your teen is technology obsessed or whatever) then I definitely still want to hear from you so that I can get into the heads of as many teens as possible and squidge them all together to come up with the teen that Justin will be.

 

Please use your email address and never give me any information that could identify your teen to me, even if I know you or them personally.

 

Thank you so so much.