Technology at the Human Face: The Influence of Social Media on Young English Language Learners in the Digital Age
Author : Dr. Basavana Gowda OG
Abstract :
This dissertation examines the influence of social media on young English Language Learners (ELLs), focusing on how digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp reshape linguistic acquisition, communicative practices, cognitive processing, and identity formation. In the contemporary digital era, English is increasingly learned outside formal educational institutions through continuous exposure to algorithmically curated, multimodal, and socially interactive environments.
The study argues that social media functions as an expansive informal language-learning ecosystem that enhances vocabulary acquisition, pragmatic fluency, and exposure to authentic communicative contexts. However, it simultaneously reshapes grammatical norms, compresses attention spans, and blurs distinctions between informal and academic English registers. Drawing upon sociocultural theory, digital literacy frameworks, and second language acquisition research, the paper demonstrates that language learning in digital environments is participatory, identity-driven, and distributed across networks rather than confined to structured pedagogy.
The dissertation concludes that social media is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful; its influence depends on pedagogical integration, learner awareness, and the development of critical digital literacy competencies.
Keywords :
Social media, English Language Learners, digital literacy, second language acquisition, multimodal communication, meta learning, identity formation, algorithmic influence, applied linguistics, informal learning.
