Negotiating Identity Through Language: A Sociolinguistic Study of Pakistani Youth Discourse on Social Media

Voices in the shadows: Lived experiences of LGBTQ Indonesians in the digital sphere

This study examines the lived experiences and encounters with digital representation of LGBTQ individuals on Indonesian social media amidst the rise of conservative religious discourse and socio-cultural heteronormativity. Grounded in queer theory and using a qualitative approach, the research is based on in-depth interviews with 42 self-identified LGBTQ Indonesians. It reveals four interrelated themes: resistance to heteronormative structures, pervasive homophobia and microaggressions, ongoing navigation of internal identity tensions, and the dual role of digital platforms as spaces of both vulnerability and resistance. Digital media provide avenues for visibility, community formation, and affective solidarity. However, they also facilitate discriminatory practices, hate speech, and symbolic violence. Participants described a dual experience - finding empowerment and unity online while at the same time facing hostility and psychological stress. The analysis reveals how LGBTQ Indonesians negotiate and resist dominant discourses by asserting multiple identities and utilising digital tools to resist marginalization. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between online empowerment and offline sociopolitical structures that perpetuate discrimination. The study contributes to a more inclusive understanding of LGBTQ digital lives in Southeast Asia, challenging heteronormative portrayals and highlighting actual lived experiences. It calls for an understanding of the relationship between digital rights and human rights, highlighting the need for inclusive governance of online spaces and ethical media representation. As Indonesia grapples with ongoing debates about identity, democracy, and pluralism, empowering queer voices in the digital space emerges as both a scholarly and humanitarian urgency.

Religious Moderation and Digital Citizenship in Indonesia: Examining State Narratives and Muslim Netizens’ Engagement

The transformation of the digital ecosystem has reshaped how religious moderation is produced, distributed, and practiced within Indonesian Muslim society. Traditionally, religious moderation has been positioned as a normative discourse constructed by the state to maintain social harmony and stability. However, within participatory digital spaces, this discourse is reinterpreted by netizens who produce diverse meanings. This study aims to analyze the construction of religious moderation by the state in digital spaces, its interpretation and practice by Muslim netizens, as well as the dynamics of digital communication network structures. The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through digital observation and documentation, while data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis. The empirical data were collected from official government digital platforms and Muslim netizens' interactions on Twitter (X) and YouTube. The findings indicate that state discourse tends to be normative, uniform, and top-down, emphasizing values such as tolerance, social harmony, and stability. In contrast, the practice of religious moderation among netizens is participatory and dynamic, characterized by polarization, interpretive debates, and the contestation of religious identities. The structure of digital communication networks reveals fragmentation and the presence of echo chambers, where interactions are more dominant within homogeneous groups. The study concludes that religious moderation in digital spaces has transformed from a policy discourse into a contested discourse, functioning as a discursive arena collectively produced by both state and societal actors.

Translanguaging and Youth Identity: Banglish as a Medium of Expression and Belonging in Urban Bangladesh

In modern urban Bangladesh, young people increasingly communicate in a blend of Bangla and English, often referred to as Banglish. This linguistic hybridity is more than spontaneous mixing, it represents a form of translanguaging through which youth construct modern, inclusive identities and negotiate a sense of belonging in both local and global contexts. The study focuses on urban youth in Bangladesh and explores how they demonstrate creativity through the use of Banglish across different contexts, including social media, memes and discussions in university settings. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining semi-structured interviews with students and young professionals to uncover social meanings, online surveys to examine language preferences and usage patterns and meme and online conversation analysis to illustrate the role of translanguaging in digital humor and expression. In addition, ethnographic observations of campus conversations show how Banglish functions as a shared communicative code among youth. Situating these findings within existing studies on translanguaging in Bangladesh (e.g., Rafi 2022; Sajib 2019; Ahmed 2023), the research demonstrates how English is reimagined not as a foreign or elite language, but as an integral component of urban youth identity, creativity and community building in contemporary Bangladesh.

Social Identity Construction through the Use of Youth Slang in Indonesian Teen Communities

Teenage slang is often considered a unique form of social expression that reflects youth group dynamics, socialization processes, and identity formation. Teenagers' use of informal language is not only a communication style but also a symbol of group membership, resistance to standard norms, and a response to cultural changes influenced by globalization. This study aims to analyze the forms and functions of teen slang, explore its role in shaping teens' social identities, and examine how globalization influences its forms and uses. The research design follows a phenomenological approach, emphasizing teens' lived experiences and their own perspectives on slang. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a sociolinguistic perspective complemented by elements of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to attend to the ideologies and representations embedded in youth language, data were collected from social media interactions, online conversations, and mass media texts. The findings indicate that teen slang consists of slang innovations, acronyms, loanwords from English, and expressive phrases unique to teens. These linguistic practices serve to strengthen group solidarity, express modern identities, and highlight generational differences. The study concludes that teen slang is not only linguistic variation but also a sociocultural practice that shapes teen identity in the era of globalization. In this regard, teen slang in Indonesia embodies adolescents' adaptability, creativity, and resilience in facing complex social realities, bridging local traditions and global influences.

Digital Populism in Nepal: Social Media–Driven Political Communication and the Wave of Populist Politics in Nepal

This study aims to examine the increasing phenomenon of populism in Nepal and primarily, the role of social media in the process of constructing political communication and public opinion. While studies on populism are growing across the globe, an empirical gap exists concerning how digital platforms foster populist mobilization in a developing country such as Nepal. Particularly, not much systematic work has focused on the extent to which the format of online political communication shape the affective framing, the political polarization, and the leader-focused discourse in Nepali politics. The present study, therefore, seeks to fill this gap through the use of a mixed-method research design, in which political figures' social media content has been qualitatively analysed along with the quantitative analysis of engagement level on multiple platforms (Facebook, TikTok and X). Key techniques of communication and prevailing discourse style of popular communication are identified through thematic coding and sentiment analysis. This research reveals how the emotive content, anti-elite discourse, and group-identity based framing over the platforms mobilize the populist agenda through social media. All these techniques and strategies serve to exacerbate the polarization of politics and the rapid diffusion of populist rhetoric among the young digital natives. The algorithmic visibility also contributes to continue propagation of the populist contents. This study constructs a model for the local understanding of digital populism in Nepal, analyzing how social media networks mediate the political landscape to create an enabling environment for populist Politics in a transitional democracy.

Journal of Arts, Meaning and Public Life