Gen Z’s Vocabulary Innovation on TikTok as a Reflection of Sociocultural Change and Its Implications for Education

Abstract

Lexical innovation on TikTok connects Generation Z’s linguistic creativity with digital interaction and sociocultural change, raising questions about its implications for Indonesian language use and education. This study identified forms of lexical innovation among Generation Z on TikTok, examined their relationship with sociocultural changes, and analysed their implications for Indonesian language education. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using TikTok videos, captions, and comments collected between July and October 2026. Data were gathered through documentation and note-taking and analysed according to linguistic form, origin, and contextual meaning. The findings identified six categories of lexical innovation shaped predominantly by English influence, exemplified by vibesnya, “flexing,” “in this economy,” “I wish,” orang have, and when ya. These forms served to express identity, articulate economic anxieties, and reinforce group solidarity. The study highlights TikTok as an important site of linguistic variation and sociocultural expression among Generation Z. For Indonesian language education, these findings suggest that digital lexical practices can provide contextual learning material for examining loanwords, semantic shifts, and code-mixing while promoting awareness of language choices appropriate to different communicative contexts.