DefinePK

Abstract

Communications are now moving virtual hence changes in language use can be seen quite visibly on sites like TikTok and Facebook in many languages. What this study explores is how the massive spread of viral social media trends influences the usage of Pashto, which has approximately 50 million speakers in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. There has been relatively little scholarly work done on the impact dealt out by digital media to regional and minority languages such as Pashto, although it is quite a significant subject. This research explores how viral content in TikTok and Facebook is affecting Pashto’s lexical syntactic, and phonological characteristics. The research examines 500 videos and posts posted during the period of 2022-2024 via Qualitative approach, and discovers new patterns of code-switching, lingua borrows from English and Urdu as well as new slang and change in sentence structures. Using insights from sociolinguistics and media studies, this study extends the examination of the impact of young people on language change and the importance of these changes for cultural identity and language maintenance. Results demonstrate that social networks intensify Pashto’s presence and creative potential, but the same channels facilitate the formation of new linguistic styles and possible neglect of the traditional linguistic norms. This research contributes to the current debate on digital sociolinguistics and how digital media affects minority languages and offers guidelines for teachers, policymakers, and linguists on a way of utilizing digital channels while retaining traditional languages.