Digital Dialogues: Exploring Code-Switching and Language Innovation Among Gen Z on Social Media

This study investigates patterns of code-switching, slang usage, and digital language innovation among Generation Z within Indonesian social media contexts, focusing on interactions on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Drawing on sociolinguistic and digital discourse perspectives, the research examines how Gen Z constructs meaning, expresses identity, and negotiates social relationships through hybrid language practices that combine Indonesian, English, localized slang, abbreviations, emojis, and non-standard spellings. The study employs a qualitative research design with thematic analysis as the framework for data analysis, supported by participant comparison to capture the multifaceted and multimodal nature of online communication. The findings reveal that digital language use among Gen Z promotes emotional expressiveness, communicative efficiency, and peer solidarity, functioning as a key mechanism for identity formation and group affiliation. However, the results also indicate potential challenges, including tone ambiguity, misinterpretation, and the blurring of boundaries between informal digital registers and formal academic language. These issues are particularly relevant in bilingual Indonesian contexts, where learners are exposed to global English influences alongside local linguistic norms. Importantly, the study finds that Gen Z users demonstrate varying levels of metalinguistic awareness, as evidenced by their ability to adjust language use based on context, interlocutor, and communicative intent. The research highlights significant pedagogical implications under the Kurikulum Merdeka framework, advocating for the integration of digital literacy and register-awareness instruction. By positioning Gen Z digital discourse as a linguistic resource rather than a deficit, this study contributes to contemporary sociolinguistic theory and offers practical insights for responsive and context-sensitive language education in the digital era.