Social media language of Gen Z and perceptions of Millennials

Abstract

This study aims to identify the language changes Gen Z (born between 1997-2012) brought and the interactions of Gen Z on social media. At the same time it focuses on the way previous generations, Millennials (born between 1981-1996) think about the language change and their overall impression regarding this new generation. To figure out these matters the language samples of Gen Z were collected by observing social media accounts of Gen Z or Generation Z. In addition to that, interviews were conducted to examine the views of Millennials. This makes the research Qualitative. So, the study reveals the language of Gen Z consists of lots of short forms, they mostly use slang and informal language, borrow words from different cultures and sometimes also coin new words based on memes or normalize using grammatically wrong phrases or spelling in day-to-day communication. The study also reveals most Millennial participants have an overall positive attitude towards Gen Z. However, a negative attitude also exists among Millennials. They disagree on certain matters with Gen Z, but the overall impression is positive. The study also states that female millennial participants were more welcoming towards these changes compared to male participants.