EXPLORING THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE SHORTCUTS AND SLANG IN SHAPING TEEN SOCIAL IDENTITY: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to use a sociolinguistic lens to investigate how slang and language shortcuts influence teens' social identities. It looks at the innovative ways that teenagers utilize informal terms and acronyms like "idk," "brb," and "lol" to express themselves, make friends, and get along with their peers. Teenagers are leading the way in linguistic innovation in the digital age, particularly in text-based and online communication. Despite being perceived as informal, some slang phrases and shortcuts have important social connotations. They are instruments for demonstrating uniqueness, showing solidarity, questioning social conventions, and belonging to a group. Both new adolescent subcultures and larger socioeconomic institutions are reflected in these linguistic choices. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques, such as surveys, interviews, and discourse analysis, the study uses sociolinguistic frameworks to examine how teenagers use language in both online and offline social contexts. The results show that language shortcuts are deliberate, socially motivated behaviours rather than merely colloquial utterances.  Teens utilize them to reflect ideals influenced by media and technology advancement, build social networks, and strengthen group identities. It is crucial that academia, parents, and educators accept these changing language patterns as significant rather than discounting them.

Keywords: Teens Language, social identities, Language trends, Sociolinguistic, Social frame workKeywords: inclusive education, special education policy, Punjab, qualitative research, education reform, thematic analysis