THE EXISTENCE OF THE INDONESIAN LANGUAGE AMID THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SLANG AMONG TEENAGERS

Abstrak

Language is a basic tool for human social interaction, but as time goes on, the skills of young people in using proper Indonesian language have started to change. This study aims to look into the growing use of slang, both from local words and borrowed from English, among teenagers and its effects on the presence of the Indonesian language. Using a descriptive qualitative approach from various literature and sociolinguistic observations, this study identifies that slang is formed through different morphological patterns such as abbreviations, acronyms, word shortening, puns, and shifts in meaning. The main reasons behind this phenomenon include the rapid impact of social media, the need for self-existence, and the desire to create closeness within peer groups. Even though slang can boost language creativity, its dominance poses a threat to the preservation of standard Indonesian, leads to difficulties in formal communication, and lowers the quality of grammar. Therefore, it is important to make proportional efforts to limit rather than eliminate and to instill language awareness from an early age so that the national identity of the nation remains preserved.