NAVIGATING DIGITAL LITERACY: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTING AFFECTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS AMONG PAKISTANI YOUTH

Abstract

Social media has become as essential tool for global communication, significantly changing how language is used in the current era. This study highlights how social media engagement affects the academic writing of Pakistani youth. It also looks at how Pakistani English has emerged as a non-native variety which is shaped by new digital ecologies. The study used a quantitative survey design, and data was collected through a Likert scale questionnaire. The piolet study was conducted to check participants comprehension and as per requirement the instrument was translated into Urdu to ensure clarity. Convenient sampling was used and the questionnaire was given to 300 students whereas 252 students gave response from the University of Southern Punjab, Multan, that were subsequently analyzed using SPSS. The quantitative findings supported the primary hypothesis: high social media consumption heavily influences users' English writing skills. The participants noted that consumption of social media enhanced vocabulary, spelling, and sentence structure. The frequent use of slangs and contractions while texting in online chats negatively impacts formal academic writing skills. Finally, social media is a valuable tool for informal language practice, learners should carefully observe the difference between local digital communication and standard academic English.

Keywords: Social media, Pakistani English, digital literacy, academic writing, informal learning, sociolinguistics.