Exploring Students Perception on the Role of Instagram on Slang Adoption and Dissemination

Abstract

The aim of the study explores students' perceptions of Instagram's role in the adoption and dissemination of slang. Increase in use of social media and the use of Instagram as one of the widely used medium by several students is potentially evident in their day to day use of language.  This study reviewed students slang words used in their daily activities, applying quantitative descriptive survey design. By using a self-designed survey, validated by three expert field workers, disseminated online using stratified random sampling technique with at least 10% population from undergraduate students of the seven schools of a private university, the research scrutinized how often Instagram is used by students, what type of content is preferred, and their perception of usage of slang as influenced by Instagram. Additionally, the research investigated the relationship between Instagram use and students' language skills, particularly in terms of the use of slang. The data collected through online survey, this research focused on the intricate communication between Instagram and language use. This helped in identifying and categorizing the shaping of language practices and the role of Instagram, the study has contributed in analyzing the depth of present-day language trends and how it’s changing with the use of social media application for communication. The survey was based on closed-ended questions to collect information from participants’ use of Instagram and their perception of the influence of the platform. The analysis was done using SPSS, findings from the careful analysis of the data helped in making recommendation to educators, linguists, policy makers, language curriculum developers and users of social media platforms to make informed decisions in using social media as responsible young people.