<![CDATA[Social media has become one of the most influential environments in which university students read, write, speak, and negotiate identity. For students in English education programs, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp do not merely function as channels for entertainment or networking; they also shape lexical choices, discourse habits, and expectations about speed, brevity, and interpersonal tone. This study examines how social media influences the development and adoption of communication styles among students of the English Education Study Program and identifies the linguistic and behavioral changes that appear through sustained online engagement. The study employed a descriptive qualitative design. Twenty-eight students from the 2022 cohort were selected purposively from seven classes, while classroom observation and semi-structured interviews were used to generate the data. The data were analyzed through the interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that social media affects students’ communication in two closely connected domains. In spoken interaction, students frequently carry slang, trending expressions, and platform-based vocabulary into classroom talk because these forms feel concise, familiar, and socially relevant. In written communication, abbreviations and informal structures occasionally slip into academic texts, especially when students write quickly or move between online and academic spaces. At the same time, most participants demonstrate contextual awareness by editing their language in formal situations. The study concludes that social media does not simply damage students’ communication; rather, it creates a fluid communicative repertoire that requires stronger academic filtering, register awareness, and instructional guidance from lecturers.]]>
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