Language Use and Identity Creation on Tik Tok: The Case of Freshmen at the University of Buea.

Abstract

This study explores how language use among freshmen at the University of Buea evolves following the release of the GCE Advanced Level results and how these changes contribute to identity construction. Guided by a qualitative research approach, involving Tik Tok content analysis and interviews, the study collected and analyzed how students shift from informal, emotionally expressive language during high school to more confident, assertive, and reflective styles in universities. Data, interpreted using Goffman’s Theoretical framework, indicate that students become more expressive, self-assured, and sophisticated in their linguistic choices due to academic, social, and psychological adjustments. Social media platforms, such as Tik Tok, serve as critical arenas for identity creation, allowing students to negotiate group belonging, academic roles, and emotional transitions. The study concludes that language use is both a reflection and a tool of identity transformation, shaped by conscious and unconscious adaptation to new social roles.