Social media has exploded into 21st century culture and completely redefined community, connection, and human interaction. With the arrival of the mobile phone, the ability to access endless amounts of information and opinions is in fingertips’ reach. Social media has become one of the main forms of communication for many people worldwide, but in this increasingly digital age, there are concerns about its impact on language and literacy skills. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the debate isn’t as simple as weighing the pros and cons.

One of the biggest advantages to the widespread adoption of social media is that it gives users access to countless different people, languages, and cultures. The internet is a huge space, increasing exposure to new ideas and free information. This can be a valuable resource, but comes with a crucial caveat. Social media platforms run on algorithms. As users like, comment, and share posts, the platform tends to feed more of the same content. So while social media apps can be an endless source of diverse opinions, they can also narrow down what users are exposed to.

Beyond simple exposure to other ideas, social media can also help people put new knowledge to the test. Frequent media use can help teenagers develop skills like audience awareness and critical thinking as they engage with unfamiliar topics and new information. The spread of “text speak” has also forced adaptation to shorthand, abbreviations, and the use of multimodal communication, especially on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. According to a 2023 study , social media has a heavy hand in the evolution of language. It influences informal communication norms such as common vocabulary and slang, and offers opportunities for the creation of community-specific language. For example, book or TV show fandoms tend to develop their own niche vocabulary, similar to how the terminology of a particular sport or medical speciality may be confusing to people outside of those spaces. Much of social media is text based, so the issue isn’t necessarily that literacy is getting worse, but that it creates different types of literacy.

There is still a need for skills like reading for longer periods of time, formal writing, and face-to-face conversation. Unlike social media, spoken language involves the use of nonverbal communication and prosody, or the rhythm and stress of speech, which are all critical for children to master. Additionally, social media’s online nature can limit socialization and deep, genuine interactions, creating an illusion of connection.

Studies have shown that heavy social media use can correlate with lower scores on structured math and vocabulary tests. While social media does not worsen writing, students struggle with switching between formal and informal uses. Social media use has also been linked to decreased attention span. People get accustomed to short, fast-changing content, making it harder to sit down with a physical book or focus on homework for a long time. Many students are able to scroll for hours on TikTok, where most videos tend to be shorter than a minute, but then struggle to focus in a lecture or while doing homework.

Communication in this day and age requires us to navigate multimodal communication, carefully evaluate information, and adapt to different audiences. Social media is here to stay, and while that might not necessarily mean a decline in language and literacy, it invites a transformation of what it means to be literate. Instead of trying to preserve outdated language and literacy norms, we should ensure that social media complements foundational communication skills.