Social Media and its Effect on the Linguistics of Communication By: Amber Waltz

Introduction We live in a society where one cannot walk down a street, sit in a restaurant, or even drive a vehicle without seeing people on cell phones. People no longer seem to strike up conversations with those around them. Children are handed cell phones or tablets as entertainment instead of being encouraged to play with other children or go outside.

Is social media affecting the linguistics of communication?

My Hypothesis I suspect that I will find that young people are more likely to use social media as a primary means of communication as opposed to face-to-face conversation. This would support the idea that social media is affecting the linguistics of communication. An evolution from face-to-face conversation to a digital means of communication.

What is Sociolinguistics? Background In order to find out if social media is affecting the linguistics of communication I had to take a sociolinguistic approach and study the use of social media across a wide range of age groups. What is Sociolinguistics? Sociolinguistics is described as the study of how people interact with other people in language and how their language is served and shaped by their social nature.

What led me to conduct the research? A quest for answers Holes in the scholarly research A need for more primary research A lack of correlating evidence

Published Research A study into academic journals, scholarly reports, and popular articles in the hopes of supporting my hypothesis that social media is affecting the linguistics of communication.

Scholarly Research “Sociolinguistics of Social Media” By: Krishnaveer Abhishek Challa Scholars are noticing the shift from “old media” and communication to “new media”

Scholarly Research Findings “What we have been seeing is more like a fusing of old and new…new media has colored the old media with its characteristics, henceforth affecting the sociolinguistics in all dimensions.” “Today, old media are almost always paired with new media…some of this evolution has been due to the concern that the new media is growing at the expense of the old media; and the old media must evolve to survive.”

Scholarly Research “Language, Society, Culture. Concept of Culture in Linguistics” By: Irena V. Mygovych Culture and communication are inseparable Culture dictates who talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds Culture helps to determine how people encode messages, the meaning they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted Culture is the foundation of communication

“Viewpoint: Why Social Media is Destroying Our Social Skills” Popular Research “Viewpoint: Why Social Media is Destroying Our Social Skills” By: Jasmine Fowlkes “Social media interaction now dominates both online and offline conversation. In a society where interacting and over-sharing online is the norm, you’re probably more likely to speak to friends and family through electronic devices than face-to-face.”

Popular Research “One in Four Socializes More Online than in Person” By: The Telegraph- from a survey by Casino Yazino “One in four spend more time socializing online, using sites such as Facebook and Twitter, than they do in person.” “The average online [person] spends 4.6 hours a week talking to friends online.”

Primary Research Methodology 20 question survey Wide range of ages Included open-ended, multiple-choice, control, and demographic questions

Survey 25 people surveyed 3 discarded for incompleteness Organized into 3 age groups 6: under 25yrs, 6: 30-50yrs, 10: over 50yrs

Survey Analysis

Do you use social media? Total surveyed 70%-YES 30%-NO. Under 25 age group 83%-YES 17%-NO. 30-50 age group 83%-YES 17%-NO. Over 50 age group 50%-YES 50%-NO

Does it bother you to see people on their cell phones in a restaurant? Total surveyed 68%-YES 32%-NO. Under 25 age group 17%-YES 83%-NO. 30-50 age group 83%-YES 17%-NO. Over 50 age group 90%-YES 10%-NO

Do you ever text friends or family when you are in the same room with them? Total surveyed 24%-YES 76%-NO. Under 25 age group 67%-YES 33%-NO. 30-50 age group 33%-YES 67%NO. Over 50 age group 0%-YES 100%-NO.

How many hours do you spend online each week? Total surveyed 55%->10 hours, 13% 11-15 hours, 8% 16-20 hours, 24% <20 hours Under 25 age group 100% spent more than 20 hours 30-50 age group 24%- >10 hours, 33% 11-15 hours, 33% 16-20 hours Over 50 age group 90% >10 hours, and 10% 11-15 hours

How many hours do you spend on social media each week? Total surveyed- 72%- >10 hours, 16% 11-15 hours, 12% <20 hours Under 25 age group- 50%->10 hours, 50%-<20 hours 30-50 age group- 50%->10 hours, 50%-11-15 hours Over 50 age group- 90%>10 hours, 10%-11-15 hours

When you hear “social media” what do you think of?

Why do you use an online social network? Keep in touch Communication Connect with friends Keep up with the latest news Felt left out of the loop Funny cat videos

How would you feel if you were without access to social media for 24 hours? No different No problem Be okay for a while Upset if I miss my political group Like I didn’t know what everyone was feeling or doing Lost Empty

Discussion Tie the research together How the survey filled the gaps What I learned Survey more people

Conclusion Results support my hypothesis Social media is affecting the linguistics of communication The older a person is the more likely they are to be bothered by its use Those less than 25 yrs old do not seem to be bothered by those who use social media in a restaurant and are inclined to text people they are in the same room with. The older generations are in a position where they must evolve or be left behind.

Works Cited Challa, Krishnaveer Abhishek. “Sociolinguistics of Social Media.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation 1.1 (2015): 31-40. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. Fowlkes, Jasmine. “Viewpoint: Why Social Media is Destroying Our Social Skills.” USA Today. USA Today, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. Mygovych, Irena V. “Language, Society, Culture. Concept of Culture in Linguistics.” Academia.edu. UDK 378:008 n.d.: 1-12. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. “One in Four Socializes More Online Than in Person.” The Telegraph. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.