THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS ON THE MODERN ENGLISH LEXICON

Abstract

The modern world is experiencing rapid development of digital technologies and communications, which have become an integral part of everyday life. One of the most influential aspects of the digital revolution is social networking, which connects millions of users around the world. The growth of their popularity has significantly affected not only social interaction, but also the linguistic features of many cultures, including the English-speaking one. The English language, as a global language of international communication, is the most affected by changes coming from social networks. The purpose of the article is to analyze the influence of social networks on the formation of the modern lexicon of the English language and to identify the main trends in the emergence of new words and expressions under the influence of digital communications. The subject of the study is lexical changes in the English language under the influence of social networks. The object of the study is the modern English language in the context of digital communication, in particular within such social platforms as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, which influence the formation and distribution of new lexical units. The research material is lexical units of the modern English language, which appeared and spread thanks to social networks. Analysis of such popular platforms allowed us to conditionally divide lexical changes into several groups: neologisms, abbreviations and acronyms, phraseological units and memes, hashtags. Changes in the modern lexicon of the English language play several important roles: adaptation to new realities and technologies, fast and effective communication, spread of cultural and social trends, interaction with the global context, creativity and language development, as well as influence on the traditional language. However, new lexical items can either quickly lose relevance or meaning, or remain in the lexicon and continue to be used, even when their original meaning may change slightly. Linguistic innovations are evidence of how digital culture not only changes communication practices, but also becomes an integral part of linguistic evolution.