PHONOLGICAL SHIFTS IN SOCIAL MEDIA DISCOURSE: THE  INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION ON LANGUAGE

The rise of social media has transformed linguistic practices, shaping phonological patterns in both written and spoken communication. This study examines how platforms—particularly Facebook and TikTok—drive phonetic innovations such as nonstandard spellings (yasss, gonna), regional accent transcription, and stylized prosody through capitalization, punctuation, and repetition. It also explores the role of emojis and symbols in phonological representation. Analyzing approximately 50 samples, the study identifies key phonological patterns contributing to informal language normalization, linguistic hybridization, and global communication. Using phonetic transcription, it documents how phonological shifts manifest in digital writing and compares spoken and written forms to assess phoneme substitution, assimilation, and elision. Unlike prior research that conflates phonological and orthographic shifts, this study distinguishes between them, offering a focused analysis of phonetic processes in social media discourse. Additionally, it situates these shifts within a broader discourse framework, examining how users strategically employ phonetic modifications to shape meaning, express identity, and engage in digital interactions. The findings underscore how social media fosters linguistic creativity, challenges phonological norms, and reflects broader sociocultural and identity dynamics.