DIGITAL LINGUISTICS: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS CHANGING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

Social networks have become an integral part of people's lives. Platforms such as Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have created a unique space for linguistic interaction changing the way people write, speak, and perceive language. For example, TikTok is popular due to its short videos, trending challenges, and an algorithm that quickly adapts to the user's interests. Instagram attracts with visual content. Facebook remains important for learning, professional contacts, and communities of interest. Twitter makes it possible to exchange ideas and follow current events and memes quickly. Given that English is the language of international communication in business and social networks, changes in the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax of different languages through English shape the modern linguistic landscape that reflects the dynamism of digital communication. The article aims to analyze the process of the influence of social networks on the English language, particularly on vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and communicative practices, as well as to identify the main trends and possible consequences of these changes for the future of language evolution. There are several main ways to influence the English language through social networks: 1. The spread of new words through memes. 2. The popularization of new words through trends, challenges, and hashtags. 3. Changes in grammar and style. 4. Linguistic inclusivity and borrowing. The impact of social networks on the English language has great potential to shape future changes in the language standard, but whether these changes will become permanent depends on several factors: the constant growth of informal style, the rapid development of new words and expressions due to globalization, uncertainty in the introduction into the official language, selectivity in the spread of changes. Social media not only reflects linguistic changes but also accelerates them, making communication more dynamic, informal, and globalized. The changes that occur under the influence of the digital environment demonstrate the flexibility of the English language and its ability to adapt. It opens up new opportunities for linguistic research and requires further study of digital linguistics as a science that explores the relationship between technology and language.