The Negative Influence of Social Media Language on Academic English Writing among University Students in Malaysia

Nur 'Afina Syafiqah Binti Muhamad Harith, Nur Aina Nazura Binti Julindah, Nur Athirah Binti Rosli, Nur Zarifah Binti Tahsin and Mohammad Radzi Bin Manap
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Nur 'Afina Syafiqah Binti Muhamad Harith: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa
Nur Aina Nazura Binti Julindah: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa
Nur Athirah Binti Rosli: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa
Nur Zarifah Binti Tahsin: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa
Mohammad Radzi Bin Manap: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 24, 920-924

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of social media exposure on Malaysian university students’ academic writing, with emphasis on how informal digital language influences their grammar, spelling, and overall writing competence. The use of abbreviations, slangs as well as informal structures of the language in this powerful communication tool has become common in academic contexts. Previous studies have shown that this ‘encroachment’ undermine vocabulary richness, grammatical accuracy, and eventually affect learners’ ability in elaborating idea and as a result weaken writing performance. Nevertheless, students’ perceptions remain mixed—many recognize that platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp can boost confidence, grammatical awareness, and access to learning materials, yet also acknowledge that informal habits hinder formal writing. The study highlights that educators can mitigate these negative effects by integrating social media into structured academic activities, providing continuous feedback, and monitoring student writing practices. Ultimately, effective guidance can transform social media from a distraction into a supportive tool for academic writing development.

Date: 2025
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