LANGUAGE STYLE IN GENERATION Z's INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS

Abstract

Social media has transformed the way Generation Z communicates, making Instagram captions an important medium for expressing identity, emotions, and social relationships through language. Previous studies have mainly examined individual linguistic features, such as slang, abbreviations, or code-mixing, while comprehensive analyses of language styles in Instagram captions remain limited. This study aimed to identify the language styles employed by Generation Z in Instagram captions and to analyze the linguistic elements that characterize those styles. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using fifty Instagram captions collected from publicly accessible accounts belonging to Generation Z users. The data were analyzed by classifying captions into language style categories and examining their lexical, grammatical, orthographic, and pragmatic features. The findings revealed three language styles: Casual Style (36%), Formal Style (32%), and Intimate Style (32%), while Consultative Style and Frozen Style were not identified. Casual Style emerged as the dominant style, characterized by slang, abbreviations, emojis, lowercase writing, incomplete sentence structures, and trendy expressions. Formal Style was mainly represented by motivational quotations, reflective statements, and standard grammatical structures, whereas Intimate Style emphasized emotional vocabulary, figurative language, personal pronouns, and expressions of affection or gratitude. These findings indicate that Instagram functions as a platform for informal, expressive, and identity-oriented communication among Generation Z. The study concludes that language style in Instagram captions is shaped by communicative purposes, interpersonal relationships, and digital culture, demonstrating the dynamic adaptation of language in contemporary online communication.