THE INFLUENCE OF POP CULTURE ON GEN Z’S PREFERENCE FOR CODE SWITCHING OVER STANDARD INDONESIAN

Abstrak

This study examines the influence of pop culture on the preferences of Generation Z (Gen Z) for using code switching over standard Indonesian. This language-mixing phenomenon is increasingly prevalent across social media platforms and everyday conversations. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from 20 Gen Z participants through social media observation and informal interviews. The findings reveal that pop culture is the primary driver of code switching among Gen Z, as it is perceived as cool, modern, and expressive. Code switching also functions as a form of social identity construction and digital adaptation. This study contributes to the fields of sociolinguistics and youth communication studies in Indonesia.