THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ENGLISH VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

This article explores the role and impact of social media on university students’ English vocabulary development. It examines how digital platforms foster lexical innovation, the emergence of new words and expressions, and the contribution of informal language to learners’ vocabulary enrichment. At the same time, it discusses the potential challenges posed by the prevalence of slang, abbreviations, and non-standard usage that may hinder academic vocabulary development. The findings suggest that while social media can serve as a supplementary tool for vocabulary expansion, fostering digital literacy is essential to balance informal learning with the acquisition of formal academic vocabulary.