From Casual to Academic: Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Higher-level English Students’ Writing Practices

This research performs an investigation into the effects of social media on the academic writing practices of tertiary-level students in the English Department. It explores in a nuanced way rather than differing into conventional methods of observing how informal digital communication and academic standards interact. The study highlights unique insights into the academic discourse of digital literacy. The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate the methods by which digital platforms influence writing standards in an academic setting. By including a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative data from surveys with the qualitative outcomes of open-ended questionnaire answers. By using random sampling, a total of 118 students from Dhaka International University are selected. The analysis was done by statistical software, whereas thematic analysis was performed by qualitative responses. The results illustrated that while social media can have a negative impact on student’s academic writing by using casual language, it can also improve the dynamic language for students of English as a Foreign Language, which improves their academic writing. However, there is a gap in formal writing education. This highlights the need for curriculum changes to bridge the divide between digital informalities and academic formalities.