The Impact of Social Media on the Evolution

1 The Impact of Social Media on the Evolution of Written English among Gen Z Harvard University 2 Literature Review Generation Z is a class of individuals bordered-1900s in the early 2010s, characterized by their heavy use of social media platforms. Social media is part of their daily lives because they have grown in the digital age. Because of this, social media usage has impacted several aspects of their lives, such as communication habits, specifically spoken and written English language (Hernandez et al., 2020). The literature review explains how generation Z's social media usage has impacted their written and spoken English use. Related Studies Impact on Traditional Writing The impacts of social media usage on Generation Z have previously raised concerns about the possible negative effects on traditional writing and even speaking skills, as far as English is concerned. It is a common worry that the continuous use of slang, abbreviations and informal language is likely to lead to a decline in the quality of spoken and written English, especially in terms of punctuation skills and grammar (Barrot, 2020). Additionally, the fast-paced and visual nature of social media is feared to reduce the ability of Gen Z to construct good sentences and express themselves appropriately as desired. Other scholars believe that Generation Z's ability to navigate various communication contexts is perfect proof of their linguistic competence (Barrot, 2020). Exposure to the various written forms of English on social media platforms can boost Generation Z's capacity to codeswitch and improve their communication across several audiences and platforms. Language Abbreviation and acronyms 3 Amongst the most positive or negative impact of social media usage on Generation Z is the increased usage of abbreviations and acronyms. This is because social media usage often imposes the use of character limits beyond which a text cannot be posted; this has increased the use of short forms and abbreviations to ensure that information is passed at once (Fansury et al., 2020). Some examples include FYI, which implies "for your information", and WCW, which implies "Women Crush Wednesday". Short forms and abbreviations are useful sometimes since they ensure faster and more efficient communication, which is in alignment with the fast-paced nature of social media communications. Compared to traditional communication, social media has promoted the use of a more informal and casual tone when it comes to communication (Munsch, 2021). Generation Z uses these informal slang and casual tones to convey their information in a reliable manner that is easily understood informality in communication and extends to both punctuation and grammar. Visual communication The emergence of visual communication platforms has shifted the importance of textual communication to video and image-based content. The major social media platforms that exhibit this include Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and even Facebook. Among Generation Z, visual and auction communication seems more authentic and slowly limits textual communication. This influences the need to write in English by enforcing authenticity and heavy reliance on visual forms of communication. Emojis are also a perfect example of visual communication among Generation Z; people use these emojis to express their feelings instead of writing paragraphs. Visual cues, besides short texts, are used to enforce what someone feels (Munsch, 2021). However, it is a concern that 4 heavy reliance on visual cues indeed enhances communication but, at the same time, leads to a decrease in the complexity and depth of written and spoken English. Language Innovation Generation Z has done well in terms of linguistic creativity and ability to formulate and popularize some words and expressions, even if they might need to be more widely understood amongst other people. Generation Z has succeeded in coining new terms resonating well with their peers and reflecting on their experiences (Szymkowiak et al., 2021). Some words coined by Generation Z through social media have become widely used and even adopted outside social media. This indicates the ability of Generation Z to influence and shape the English language in various forms. There is also the element of code-switching, in which Generation Z navigates various social media platforms with different norms, which necessitates them to adapt their language to the target audience; this is known as code-switching. For instance, one person can stick to a formal language or formal expression on LinkedIn but switches almost immediately to informal communication on other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (Gabriela & Buchko, 2021). This code-switching confirms Generation Z's ability to shift their linguistic styles depending on the target audience and is proof of their awareness of different communication contexts. Conclusion 5 Social media has had a notable impact on the style of communication among Generation Z, which is slowly finding its way into the written and spoken English language. Generation Z has proven its ability to navigate the digital environment through its various styles of communication, such as visual communication, the use of abbreviations, and informal language. While there are concerns about the potential negative impacts of social media usage on Generation, especially regarding the quality of English communication, it is also notable that Generation Z has proven their ability to adapt to different communication contexts (Lina et al., 2022). However, more research is necessary to help understand the potential long-term impacts of social media usage on Generation Z English communication and general linguistic development.