The Influence of Internet Discourse on the Formation of a Language Norm in the Modern Ukrainian Language

Abstract

The article aims to identify the key factors of Internet discourse that contribute to the transformation of language standards of the modern Ukrainian language. To achieve this goal, the following research methods were used: analysis, which allowed comparing changes in language norms in Internet communication with traditional language practices; comparison of the main trends in the development of language standards; synthesis, which provided a generalisation of the results and formulation of conclusions.

The study's results indicate that language norms have significantly transformed in the twenty-first century, especially in the context of Internet discourse. This discourse covers a set of electronic, audio, and video texts supplemented by extralinguistic factors and united by a system of hyperlinks. Its key characteristics are interactivity, multimedia, dynamism, and democracy.

Active informatisation of society has had little impact on the formal online communication style, where language norms remain stable. Instead, informal communication has undergone significant changes, particularly in the spelling attitude. Anglicisms, neologisms, abbreviations, stylistically reduced vocabulary, various occasionalisms and creative forms of speech, such as memes and slang, are widely used in online communication.

Dynamic language processes characterise modern Internet discourse. The fast pace of life and the desire to save time contribute to the emergence of new linguistic phenomena such as abbreviations, unisyllables and composites. These phenomena simplify communication and enrich the language with new expressive means.

The article concludes that Internet discourse is becoming an important source of new linguistic trends and practices in the Ukrainian language. At the same time, it has a certain negative impact on the culture of speech and reduces the Ukrainian population's literacy level. In order to reduce the negative effects of online communication on the language norms of the Ukrainian language, it is necessary to engage opinion leaders and bloggers to promote literate writing in their posts, develop official recommendations for adapting language norms to online communication, and disseminate current spelling and grammar rules.