Strengthening the Identity and Language of Indonesian Migrant Teens Through Smartphone Use

Abstract

The migration of Indonesian workers to various Southeast Asian countries has created diaspora communities with significant teen populations. These migrant teens face complex challenges in maintaining their cultural identity and Indonesian language in multicultural environments. This study aims to analyze how smartphones can be optimized as a tool to strengthen the identity and language of Indonesian migrant teens. Using a library research method with a sociolinguistic and diaspora identity approach, this study finds that smartphones have strategic potential as a medium for language maintenance, preventing language shift, and strengthening cultural identity. This study also proposes integrating a bilingual instruction approach into smartphone-based interventions as a more humane and effective strategy. The findings show that targeted smartphone-based interventions can be an effective solution to keep migrant teens connected to their Indonesian language and identity roots.