LANGUAGE USE IN WHATSAPP CONVERSATIONS AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

The rapid growth of digital communication technologies has significantly transformed language use among young people, particularly university undergraduates. In Nigeria, WhatsApp has emerged as a dominant instant messaging platform for both academic and social interaction. This study investigates the linguistic features characterizing WhatsApp conversations among undergraduates in Gombe State and examines the implications of such language use for formal academic writing. Adopting a mixed-method research design, the study combines quantitative data from structured questionnaires with qualitative analysis of selected WhatsApp chat excerpts obtained from consenting participants. The analysis focuses on linguistic features such as abbreviations, acronyms, emojis, phonetic spellings, non-standard grammar, and patterns of code-switching between English, Nigerian Pidgin, and indigenous languages. The findings reveal that WhatsApp communication among undergraduates is highly informal, creative, and hybrid in nature, with frequent use of abbreviations, emojis, and code-switching to enhance expressiveness, manage social relationships, and convey identity. The study also finds evidence that these informal digital language practices occasionally transfer into students’ formal academic writing, affecting spelling, grammar, and adherence to standard writing conventions. However, WhatsApp is also shown to support collaborative learning and peer interaction. The study concludes that while WhatsApp enriches communication and social bonding among undergraduates, there is a need for increased language awareness and digital literacy to help students effectively navigate the boundary between informal digital discourse and formal academic writing. The findings provide useful insights for educators, linguists, and policymakers concerned with language development in the digital age.