The Influence of Social Media on Language use and Attitudes in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact that social media has had on linguistic practices and attitudes in Saudi Arabia. The study used a mixed-methods approach, which included collecting quantitative data from a survey that had 300 participants and qualitative data from in-depth interviews that included 20 people as part of a subset of those 300 participants. Based on the data, it was discovered that social media is frequently used in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of language learning, with Arabic language study constituting the majority of users' interests. The findings of the descriptive statistics indicated that individuals participate in a range of activities related to language acquisition when using social media. These activities include reading, viewing videos, listening to audio, and practicing writing. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed recurring themes including social media as a platform that is both handy and easy to use, the promotion of language motivation and engagement, and individual preferences and attitudes towards the utilization of social media for language learning. The results, taken as a whole, provide light on the enormous effect that social media has had on language usage and attitudes in Saudi Arabia, while at the same time acknowledging individual circumstances that may have an impact on the amount to which it has had such an affect.