Pengaruh Perubahan Bahasa Gaul Dalam Komunikasi Remaja Di Era Media Sosial Tiktok

Abstract

The growth of social media has expanded the spaces in which language is used and circulated, including teenage communication. TikTok, a short-video platform, provides a digital environment where words, expressions, jokes, and language trends circulate through videos, music, comments, and user responses. Slang in this environment is not merely an informal lexical choice; it may also signal familiarity, creativity, group identity, and accommodation to peer communities. However, expressions whose meanings are not mutually understood may cause misunderstanding, particularly when informal language is transferred into academic or official settings. This article aims to describe slang expressions circulating through TikTok, explain their social functions in teenage communication, discuss their possible relationship with language-variety choices, and consider their relevance to the local context of Nias. The study employs a qualitative approach and a literature-review method. The materials include sociolinguistic books, works on language variation and communication accommodation, and scholarly articles on slang and social media. The data are analyzed descriptively through information selection, thematic grouping, theoretical interpretation, and conclusion drawing. The discussion draws on William Labov’s perspective on language variation and Communication Accommodation Theory associated with Howard Giles, alongside other scholarship in sociolinguistics and digital communication. The review suggests that expressions such as sabi, ngab, sigma, rebek, and skibidi may function as markers of style, humor, or solidarity, although their meanings are contextual and cannot be assumed to be shared by all groups. In Nias, the interaction of Nias, Indonesian, and digital slang is a useful analytical possibility that still requires empirical investigation. The article emphasizes the importance of selecting language varieties flexibly, politely, and appropriately rather than prohibiting slang.