The effects of social media, language attitudes, and group identity on students' abbreviation use
The growth of digital communication has encouraged the widespread use of abbreviations on social media. However, the factors influencing students' abbreviation use remain underexplored. This study examined how social media usage intensity, attitudes toward digital language, and group identity affect abbreviation use among IKIP Saraswati students. Using an explanatory quantitative design, the study collected data from 133 students in the Indonesian Language and Literature Education and English Language Education Study Programs through a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed them using multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that social media usage intensity, attitudes toward digital language, and group identity positively and significantly influenced abbreviation use, both individually and simultaneously. The model explained 48.4% of the variance in abbreviation use behavior. These results suggest that students' abbreviation use is shaped not only by linguistic factors but also by digital interaction, language attitudes, and social identity. The findings support the need for higher education institutions to strengthen digital language literacy by promoting context-appropriate abbreviation use. Future research should investigate additional factors, including digital literacy, communication context, and cultural influences, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of abbreviation use in digital communication.