THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING LANGUAGE USE AMONG PAKISTANI YOUTH: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY OF COLLEGES IN TEHSIL DARGAI, DISTRICT MALAKAND

Abstract

This study delves into the ways in which social media platforms are impacting the language patterns of young Pakistanis, particularly college students in Tehsil Dargai, District Malakand. This research examines how digital interaction influences vocabulary selection, code-switching behaviors, syntactic adaptability, and the development of hybrid linguistic registers among bilingual and multilingual youth, utilising theoretical frameworks from Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), Sociolinguistics, and Language Change Theory. The emergence of platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook has led to the negotiation of language in informal, virtual environments that frequently bypass conventional standards of usage. The study used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative survey data from 200 college students, regardless of gender, with qualitative semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis of social media content. The results indicate the widespread occurrence of code-mixing (notably English-Urdu-Pashto), the acceptance of non-standard abbreviations, the utilization of emojis as pragmatic identifiers, and the incorporation of internet slang that embodies both global trends and local identity formations. Variations in language choices based on gender and urban-rural distinctions also manifest as significant patterns. The study contends that social media is not only hastening linguistic evolution but also transforming language ideologies, identity articulation, and communication standards among adolescents in peripheral areas such as Tehsil Dargai. It engages with current discussions on digital sociolinguistics, youth language, and the globalization of English, while providing pedagogical suggestions for English Language Teaching (ELT) and language policy in Pakistan