The Influence of Social Media on Language Development

Статья принята к публикации: 27.12.2024.

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Social media are digital platforms that allow users to create, share and interact with each other. They play a significant role in modern society as they influence communication, the dissemination of information and the formation of public opinion. [1]

The term "social media" refers to a variety of Internet platforms and technologies that allow users to interact with each other, create and share content, and participate in social networks. These may include social networks, blogs, forums, media sharing platforms, and other types of websites and applications that support social interaction and information sharing.

Social media is also important for business and marketing as it provides companies with the opportunity to interact with customers and promote their products and services. Overall, social media has become an integral part of many people's daily lives and has a significant impact on culture, society and the economy.

The role of social media in modern society is diverse and has a profound impact on various aspects of life. Here are some of the key roles of social media:

Communication Tool: Social media provides a convenient and fast way of communication between people, allowing them to keep in touch over a distance and in real time.

Source of information: They are an important channel for obtaining news and information, often outpacing traditional media in the speed at which events spread.

Platform for Self-Expression: Users can share their thoughts, ideas, creativity and personal experiences, which promotes cultural exchange and self-expression.

Learning and Development Tool: Educational resources and communities on social media promote self-education and professional development.

Opinion Influencer: Social media can shape and change public opinion, which is especially noticeable during political campaigns and social movements.

Marketing and Promotion Tool: Brands and companies use social media to promote their products and services and interact with consumers.

Monitoring and Analysis Tool: Social media analytics allows you to study user behavior and market trends, which is important for business and research.

These roles show how social media has become an integral part of everyday life, influencing personal, professional and social spheres.[6]

Social media has a profound impact on modern language and communication. Social media has a profound impact on modern language and communication. Here is a more detailed overview of this influence with examples:

• 1.    New words and slang.

• 2.    Abbreviations and abbreviations

• 3.    Emoji and Stickers: Emoji and stickers have become a new way to express emotions and intentions, complementing or replacing text. For example, "LOL" can express laughter or irony. A smiling emoji can convey friendliness, while a crying face emoji can indicate sadness or disappointment.

• 4.    Hashtags: Hashtags help organize content and express public opinion. #BlackLivesMatter and #FridaysForFuture have become symbols of social movements. They have also become a tool for organizing content and mobilizing people around social

• 5.    Memes: Memes are cultural snapshots that often contain humor or social commentary. They can change the meaning of words, like "trolling", which is now often associated with internet jokes. Memes are viral images or phrases that convey humor or social commentary. They can spread with great speed and influence popular culture, as happened with the Nyan Cat meme. Memes have become an important part of internet culture, often conveying social commentary or criticism. They can change the meaning of words, such as "spam", which is now associated with unwanted messages on the Internet.

• 6.    Mixing of languages: Social media contributes to the mixing of languages, creating phenomena such as “Spanglish" (a mixture of Spanish and English) or “Runglish" (a mixture of Russian and English). The mixing of languages in social media reflects the globalization and multilingualism of the Internet space. "Frenchlish" (a mixture of French and English) is an example of such a phenomenon.

• 7.    Changes in Spelling and Punctuation: Social media often ignores traditional rules, leading to changes in written language. For example, using a period at the end of a sentence in chat rooms can be perceived as aggressive or formal. Many users prefer to write without capitalization or punctuation, which gives their messages a more informal and friendly tone. Changes in spelling and punctuation on social media can influence language in a broader context. For example, missing commas and using incomplete sentences are becoming the norm in online communication.

• 8.    Impact on oral language: Words and expressions from social media are moving into oral language. Phrases like “like” and “share” have become part of everyday conversation. Words and expressions from social media often make their way into spoken language. The phrase “repost” has become commonplace in colloquial speech, especially among young people. Words and expressions from social media influence spoken language, introducing concepts such as “Zeitgeist” or "viral.”

• 9.    Globalization of Language: Social media promotes the spread of language trends around the world by making popular expressions and slang international, promoting the globalization of language by spreading slang and expressions. This results in certain words and phrases being understood across cultures.

Social networks have become a forge of new words and slang that quickly spread among users. For example, the word "selfie” came into use thanks to the ability to share one's own photos on the Internet. Also, the term "flex" has gained popularity to describe the display of one's achievements or material possessions. In addition, "ghosting" (stopping communication without explanation) and "subtweeting" (writing about someone on Twitter without mentioning their name) have also become part of everyday language; and words like "toxic" are now often used to describe harmful behavior, not just chemically hazardous substances.

To make communication quick and effective, users create abbreviations. "BRB" (be right back, I'll be back soon) and "IMHO" (in my humble opinion) are examples of such abbreviations. In a world where speed of communication matters, acronyms and abbreviations have become an integral part of the language of social media. "LOL" (laughing out loud) and "OMG" (oh my god) are examples of such abbreviations that are now used everywhere. Abbreviations such as “TBH” (to be honest) and “FOMO” (fear of missing out) have also become part of everyday language, especially among young people.

campaigns. For example, the hashtag #Cli-mateChange helps organize discussions around importanttopics and mobilize people to participate in social campaigns.

Theories of language change provide a valuable tool for understanding how media influence language development. This article examines various aspects of this interaction by analyzing the factors that explain these phenomena. [10]

Sociolinguistic factors emphasize the role of media as a catalyst for social change, which in turn influences language. Media create new social contexts where new words and expressions appear and spread.

Psycholinguistic factors indicate that media influence individual perception and processing of language information, which may lead to changes in language habits.

Grammaticalization, in turn, can be accelerated by the media as they disseminate new uses of words and structures that then become part of the standard language.

Language contact is enhanced through the media, especially on the Internet, where users from different linguistic communities can interact, leading to borrowing and mixing of languages.[15]

Linguistic economy manifests itself in the desire for more concise and efficient forms of communication in the media, which can lead to simplification of linguistic structures.

Language evolution in the context of media can be compared to accelerated evolution, where changes occur more quickly due to the widespread dissemination and rapid exchange of information.

Reinterpretation and analogy in media often occur in the form of memes and internet jokes, which can change the meaning of words and lead to the creation of new analogies.

Language policy and media planning may include regulation of the language of broadcast and publication, which also influences language change.

Overall, this is highlighted by the fact that media play a significant role in language change, acting as accelerators and disseminators of new linguistic forms and structures. This influence is especially noticeable

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in the digital era, where the speed and volume of information exchange is constantly growing.

Sociolinguistic aspects of language play a key role in social media as they influence how we communicate and interact in digital spaces. Here are some highlights:

Identity Construction: Language in social media allows users to create and express their identity by choosing certain words, styles and dialects.

Language Innovation: Social media stimulates the emergence of new words, phrases and language structures, which contributes to the evolution of language.

Communication Practices: Social media users often use acronyms, emojis, and memes to convey emotions and ideas, which enriches language communication.

Multilingualism and code-switching: Social media facilitates the use of multiple languages and dialects in a single message or conversation, reflecting the multilingual nature of global communication. [12]

Language communities: They promote the formation of communities united by common linguistic interests, which is important for maintaining linguistic diversity.

Social movements: Hash tags and online social media companies can shape language trends and influence public opinion.

These aspects highlight the importance of social media as an environment in which language is constantly evolving and adapting to new forms of communication.

Social media has a significant impact on language, causing the emergence of new words, changing the semantics of established terms and the formation of new methods of communication. To understand these processes, it is necessary to use various methods of data collection and analysis.[7]This study examines the most effective approaches to studying language changes caused by social media.

• 1.    Quantitative methods

• 2.    Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods allow you to analyze large amounts of data and identify general trends. These include: Word and phrase frequency analysis: Using web scraping software, it is possible to collect significant amounts of text from social media and analyze the frequency of use of certain words and expressions.

Statistical analysis: Using statistical software, correlations between the use of certain language constructs and the demographic characteristics of users can be examined.

Qualitative methods focus on understanding the context and meaning of language use. These include:

• -    Interviews and surveys: Conducting conversations with social media users helps to understand how they perceive language changes and how they use new words and expressions.

• -    Discourse analysis: Analyzing communication practices on social media reveals hidden meanings and preferences in language use.

• 3.    Mixed methods

Mixed methods combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a more complete picture. Examples include:

• -    longitudinal studies: exploring how language practices change over time on social media.

• -    computer-mediated communication analysis: using software to analyze patterns of communication and interaction in social networks.

Using a variety of data collection and analysis methods allows fora deeper understanding of the impact of social media on language. This is important for developing effective language education and policy strategies and for providing guidance to social media users. [4]

Studying the influence of social media on language requires careful selection of materials for analysis. Selection should be based on clear criteria to ensure representativeness and reliability of the data. Thus, the following key criteria for selecting social media content can be identified:

• 1)    Representativeness

• 2)    The sample should reflect the diversity of language use on social media. Criteria include:

• 3)    Demographic diversity: Consider the age, gender, education and geographic location of users.

• 4)    Thematic diversity: Analyzing different topics and communication contexts.

• 5)    Relevance

Materials must be relevant and reflect current trends in language use. Criteria include:

• -    Time frame: Selection of posts and comments published during a certain period.

• -    Trends and hashtags: Analysis of popular topics and discussions.

• -    Availability

Materials must be available for analysis without violating copyright or confidentiality. Criteria include:

• -    Open data: Using content from open sources.

• -    User Consent: Accounting for consent to the use of personal data.

• -   Data quality

• -   The data must be sufficiently informative

for analysis. Criteria include:

• -   Linguistic richness: Selecting materials

with varied and rich linguistic content.

• -   Avoiding noise: Avoiding uninformative

posts and spam.

• -    Ethical considerations.

Ethical considerations must be taken into account when selecting and using materials. Criteria include:

• -    Confidentiality: Protecting users' personal information.

• -    Respect for Culture: Respect for cultural norms and values of communities.

Clear criteria for selecting materials from social media ensure the reliability and validity of language change research. This allows researchers to analyze the impact of social media on language in a comprehensive manner and ensures the ethical integrity of the study. [14]

For the study, a sample of tweets was selected for the period from January to May 2024, containing the hashtag #newlanguagereality. This hashtag was chosen due to its popularity and representativeness in discussions about language change on social media.

The analysis showed that new words and expressions most often arise in the context of political and social events. It was also revealed that youth are the main driver in the creation and dissemination of new slang. Research must be flexible and adapt to the emergence of new platforms and changes in the popularity of hash tags. For example, if a new social network becomes popular, researchers should include data from that network in their analysis.

With the development of technology, new tools for data analysis are emerging. Researchers must continually update their methods to use the most effective and relevant approaches. To understand long term trends, it is important to conduct longitudinal studies, tracking changes in language over several years. Language is constantly evolving, and research must take into account its polysemy and variability. This involves analyzing the context in which words are used and tracking changes in their meaning.

These examples and approaches will help researchers adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of social media and language practices. It is also important to consider the ethical aspects of the study and ensure the confidentiality of data.

Quantitative analysis of language use on social media is a process in which large amounts of data are collected and analyzed to identify trends, patterns, and statistically significant features of language. Here are the basic steps and methods that can be used for such an analysis:

• 1.    Data Collection: Using automated tools to collect text data from social media such as tweets, blog posts, comments, etc.

• 2.    Data preprocessing: Cleaning data from noise, such as spam, and normalizing text (for example, reducing to lower case, removing punctuation marks).

• 3.    Tokenization: Breaking text into individual elements (tokens), such as words, phrases or characters.

• 4.    Frequency analysis: Counting the frequency of use of individual words or phrases to identify the most popular and rare elements of the language.

• 5.    N-Gram Analysis: Examine sequences of N words (where N is any number) to understand which phrases are often used together.

• 6.    Sentiment analysis: Determining the emotional coloring of a text to identify the general attitude (positive, negative or neutral) towards a topic or object.

• 7.    Correlation Analysis: The study of relationships between different language elements or between language use and other variables such as time of day, user demographics, etc.

• 8.    Statistical Analysis: The use of statistical tests such as t-test or AN OVA to determine the statistical significance of observed linguistic phenomena.

• 9.    Data visualization: Create graphs and charts to visualize the results of the analysis.

• 10.    Interpretation of results: Analysis of the data obtained and formulation of conclusions about trends and features of language use in social media.[6]

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These methods allow researchers to obtain objective and verifiable data about language practices on social media, leading to a deeper understanding of the dynamics and evolution of language in the digital age. Quantitative analysis can also be complemented by qualitative analysis to gain a more complete understanding of context and meaning.

Qualitative analysis of new language forms and constructions in social media is an in-depth study aimed at understanding the context, meaning and use of linguistic innovations. Here are the main steps and methods that can be applied for such an analysis:

• 1.    Data sampling: Selecting examples of the use of new words, phrases or grammatical structures in social media. This may include posts, comments, memes and other forms of communication.

• 2.    Contextual analysis: The study of the conditions under which new linguistic forms arise, including social, cultural and political factors.

• 3.    Interpretive approach: Attempts to understand how social media users interpret and assign meaning to new words and expressions.

• 4.    Discourse analysis: Analysis of the ways in which new forms of language influence communication on social media and how they are used to create meaning and identity.

• 5.    Ethnographic approach: Observing the behavior of users in their natural environment on social media to better understand how new language forms are used and perceived.

• 6.    Thematic Analysis: Identifying key themes and ideas in the data and analyzing how new language forms relate to these themes.

• 7.    Case Study: A detailed study of selected instances of the use of new language forms to understand their origins, development and influence.

• 8.    Comparative analysis: Comparing new language forms across different social media or among different user groups to identify common and unique features.

These methods help researchers understand not only how new language forms are created and spread, but also how they influence communication and social interactions in digital environments. Qualitative analysis requires careful consideration and in terpretation of data to identify deep, meaningful connections and understand the broader sociocultural context. [13]

Examples of quantitative analysis in social media:

• 1.    Hashtag Trend Analysis: Using statistical methods to track the frequency and popularity of hashtags overtime.

• 2.    Measuring the level of engagement: Counting the number of likes, comments and reposts to assess audience activity.

• 3.    Network analysis: Create maps of interactions between users to identify key influencers and communities.

Examples of qualitative analysis in social media:

• 1.    Meme Studies: Analyze the content, structure, and social context of memes to understand their impact on culture and society.

• 2.    Interviews with users: Conducting conversations with active users of social media to understand their motivations and perception of certain language trends.

• 3.    Discourse Analysis: Considering the ways in which new words and expressions are used to create meaning and identity within social media.

These examples demonstrate how quantitative and qualitative methods can complement each other to better understand language change in social media.

Social media has introduced many new trends and phenomena into language that are different from traditional forms of language. Here are some of them:

Interactivity and immediacy: Social media allows users to instantly react to events and communicate in real time, resulting in a more conversational and dynamic style of language.

Multimodality: Language on social media is often combined with visual and audiovisual elements such as photographs, videos and emojis, making communication more expressive.

Flexibility of norms: Social media uses less strict rules of spelling and grammar, resulting in new forms and variations of words.

Globalization: Social media promotes the spread and borrowing of words and expressions from

Влияние использования социальных сетей на развитие языка, different languages, which accelerates the process of globalization of language.

Creating new words'. New technologies, trends and cultural phenomena give rise to new vocabulary that can quickly spread and become popular.

Thus, in comparison with traditional forms of language, social media leads to the following changes:

Speed of change: Language changes occur much faster due to the instantaneous exchange of information and interaction of large numbers of people.

Democratization of language: Every user can contribute to the development of the language, making it more democratic and diverse.

Simplification and economy: Social media values brevity and economy of words, which leads to simplification of language structures.

Emotional expressiveness: Language on social media is often more emotional and expressive through the use of emojis and other visual aids.

Thus, social media have a significant impact on the development of language, making it more dynamic, diverse and adaptable to modern communication conditions.

In conclusion, social media has a significant impact on language change and development. Social media not only reflects, but also actively shapes linguistic trends, introducing new words and expressions into everyday use. Abbreviations, emoji and hashtags are changing the way we communicate, making language more accessible and expressive, facilitating interaction between different cultures, leading to language enrichment and adaptation to new realities. The constant changes in social media require ongoing analysis and research into its impact on language, highlighting the importance of understanding the impact of social media on both language change and the overall development of language in the digital age. This knowledge can be used to develop educational programs and policies aimed at supporting the positive development of language skills in the modem world.