Exploring Language Trends on TikTok: Impacts on Indonesian Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v13i2.6271Keywords:
Language Trends, Tiktok Communication, Indonesian YouthAbstract
This study explores the emerging language trends on the TikTok platform and their impacts on communication in Indonesia. As TikTok continues to grow as a dominant social media platform, understanding language adaptation and usage among its users becomes increasingly significant. This research employs a qualitative method through content analysis of high-interaction TikTok videos to examine linguistic patterns. The findings reveal that slang, code-switching, and local cultural elements play a crucial role in shaping communication styles. Slang expressions, often derived from youth culture and internet memes, are widely used to create a sense of identity and belonging among users. Code-switching between Indonesian, English, and regional languages is also prevalent, reflecting the dynamic and multilingual nature of digital communication. Additionally, the incorporation of local cultural elements, such as traditional phrases and dialects, enriches interactions, making them more relatable to specific audiences. These linguistic trends contribute to the evolution of digital communication, influencing how Indonesian youth express themselves and engage with online communities. The study highlights the significance of TikTok as a platform where language is not only a tool for interaction but also a means of cultural expression and identity formation. By analyzing these trends, this research provides valuable insights into the shifting communication patterns in Indonesia’s digital landscape.
References
Bani, M., & Masruddin, M. (2021). Development of Android-based harmonic oscillation pocket book for senior high school students. JOTSE: Journal of Technology and Science Education, 11(1), 93-103.
Hamat, A. and Hassan, H. (2019). Use of social media for informal language learning by malaysian university students. 3l the Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(4), 68-83. https://doi.org/10.17576/3l-2019-2504-05
Hasjim, M., Hasyim, M., Lukman, L., Kaharuddin, K., Rabiah, S., & Nadaring, H. (2024). The impact of social media usage among teenagers on the indonesian language in the digital era. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8). https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.5093
Hasyim, M. (2022). Code-Switching and Its Social Functions in Digital Communication: A Study on Indonesian Youth. Journal of Linguistics and Digital Media, 7(2), 112-128.
Husnaini, H. (2022). Development of Self Esteem-Oriented Micro Teaching Materials for IAIN Palopo English Education Students. IDEAS: Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 10(1), 538-560.
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Ludwig, C. and Poel, K. (2015). Language learning through social media. Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 141-143. https://doi.org/10.1075/dujal.4.2.002int
Meyer, H. (2021). Bilingualism and Digital Media: Language Practices in the Age of Globalization. Cambridge University Press.
Natsir, N., Aliah, N., Zulkhaeriyah, Z., Amiruddin, A., & Esmianti, F. (2023). The impact of language changes caused by technology and social media. Language Literacy Journal of Linguistics Literature and Language Teaching, 7(1), 115-124. https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v7i1.7021
Prihatini, A., Zamahsari, G., & Pangesti, F. (2023). Social media benefit for advancing language ability in e-learning environment: a systematic literature review., 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1109/imcom56909.2023.10035623
Rahman, A. (2023). Cultural Representation in Social Media: The Role of Traditional Elements in Indonesian TikTok Content. Journal of Media and Society, 9(1), 45-62.
Robertson, R. (1995). Glocalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity-Heterogeneity. In M. Featherstone, S. Lash, & R. Robertson (Eds.), Global Modernities (pp. 25-44). Sage Publications.
Sleeman, J., Lang, C., & Lemon, N. (2016). Social media challenges and affordances for international students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(5), 391-415. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315316662975
Supriyadi, T. (2021). The Evolution of Slang in Indonesian Digital Communication: A Case Study of TikTok Language Trends. Indonesian Journal of Sociolinguistics, 5(3), 88-104.
Tagg, C. (2020). Digital Discourse: Language in the New Media. Bloomsbury.
Yilu, Z. (2024). A linguistic inquiry into the social media era based on the context of online language variation and development. TSSEHR, 8, 106-112. https://doi.org/10.62051/ahkhyc58
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lisa Ananda Wijaya Lisa, Yundi Fitrah, Maizar Karim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
