Social Media Slang and the Reshaping of Informal English in Digital Communication

Literary Project Executed by Supervisor: Ayesha Aziz
Literary Project Conducted by: Minahil Rana and Minahil Ishtiaq
Affiliated with: COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus

In today’s fast-paced digital world, language is evolving at the speed of a text message. Social media has become the new arena where words are born, reshaped, and spread globally within seconds. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have created a linguistic revolution—transforming informal English into a creative, flexible, and constantly changing form of expression. What once took generations to alter in literature now changes overnight with a trending hashtag.

Once, literature and poetry were the primary mirrors of society’s voice and emotion. Today, that mirror glows from our mobile screens. Slang terms like “lit,” “slay,” “vibe check,” “mood,” “rizz” are not just playful expressions—they are cultural symbols, shaping how people connect and identify themselves online. Just as writers like Shakespeare coined words to capture new experiences, modern users invent their own vocabulary to express humor, irony, and emotion in the digital age.

From a literary perspective, social media slang represents the democratization of language. Every user becomes a creator, adding their unique words to the global lexicon. Acronyms such as LOL, BRB, TTYL, or abbreviations like “u” for “you” and “thx” for “thanks” illustrate how technology reshapes written English to mimic the speed and rhythm of speech. What once separated writing from talking is now blurred—English has become more conversational, immediate, and emotional.

A postmodern critic would say this linguistic shift reflects the fragmentation and playfulness of modern identity—language no longer obeys fixed rules, just as identity no longer fits fixed categories. A Marxist critic might argue that social media slang reveals class and consumer trends, as language becomes tied to digital influence and brand culture. Meanwhile, a feminist critic could explore how online slang empowers or stereotypes gender identities through expressions like “girlboss,” “pick-me,” “queen.”

Through the lens of reader-response theory, each digital user interprets slang in their own way. For some, it’s humor; for others, rebellion or belonging. Slang builds online communities the same way shared literature once did. The comment section, the meme, and the viral post are today’s poetic spaces—where creativity, irony, and collective emotion merge into new forms of storytelling.

Critics often fear that social media slang is “ruining” English, but in truth, it is revitalizing it. Like Chaucer or Dickens, who wrote in the language of their people, today’s internet users write in the voice of their time. Every “LOL” or “I can’t even” carries cultural meaning, emotion, and rhythm—proof that language is alive and evolving.

Ultimately, social media has not destroyed language—it has reshaped it into a living, breathing art form. Slang, memes, and abbreviations are the new metaphors of our digital literature. The purpose of linguistic and literary criticism is not to mourn the past, but to understand how creativity adapts to each new era.

If literature once captured the soul of the printing press age, social media now captures the pulse of the emoji age. And like every era before it, this too tells the story of who we are and how we connect.

“Language evolves with its people—endless story.”
Minahil Rana & Minahil Ishtiaq