From Screens to Speech: Guidance Counselors’ Perceptions on How Social Media Deinfluencing Normalizes Cussing Among Grades 3–6 Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20259088Keywords:
social media deinfluencing, cussing normalization, language acquisition, Generative/Innatist Theory, elementary learners, guidance counselors, linguistic behavior, media influence, digital communication, qualitative researchAbstract
This study looks at how guidance counselors see social media deinfluencing as a factor in the normalization of swearing among students in Grades 3–6. Children are becoming exposed to influencer content that frequently uses vulgarity, humor, and expressive delivery in digitally mediated spaces. Deinfluencing may unintentionally reinforce profanity because of its performative and emotionally charged nature, even when its goal is to discourage behaviors. This study, which is based on Chomsky's Generative/Innatist Theory, presents cursing not as deliberate wrongdoing but as a linguistically acquired habit shaped by patterned exposure. Semi-structured interviews with guidance counselors and teacher-designates in the Milagros West District of Masbate Province were used to gather data using a qualitative descriptive design, which was then subjected to thematic analysis. Results show that learners are mimicking not just language but also tone and expressive styles from social media, making swearing spontaneous, socially rooted, and linguistically internalized. Profanity was found to be paradoxically strengthened by deinfluencing content through emotional salience and repetition. Cussing is a socially reinforced and digitally mediated linguistic phenomenon, according to the study's conclusion, underscoring the necessity of media-informed and language-sensitive interventions in educational contexts.
References
Abidin, C. (2021). Mapping internet celebrity on TikTok: Exploring attention economies and visibility. Social Media + Society, 7(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120986495
Andersen, M., et al. (2021). Media exposure and child behavior: The role of digital platforms. Journal of Children and Media, 15(3), 345–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2021.1888860
Bishop, S. (2022). Algorithmic culture and the amplification of content on TikTok. New Media & Society, 24(6), 1455–1472. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211045696
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Coyne, S. M., et al. (2017). Media use and behavioral outcomes among children and adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 53(5), 889–901.
Curzan, A. (2020). Linguistic influence in a digital age. Journal of Language and Society, 49(2), 150–167.
Ferguson, C. J., et al. (2016). Family environment and child behavior outcomes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(9), 2796–2803.
Huttenlocher, J., et al. (2016). Language input and child development. Developmental Psychology, 52(11), 1789–1802.
Jay, T. (2018). The psychology of swearing. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(3), 239–248.
Lieven, E. (2016). Usage-based approaches to language development. Annual Review of Linguistics, 2, 17–35.
Mendoza, R. (2020). Filipino children’s language acquisition in the age of social media. Philippine Journal of Education, 96(1), 33–48.
Navarro, R., et al. (2022). Ecological factors influencing child behavior in digital contexts. Children and Youth Services Review, 135, 106–118.
OECD. (2021). Children in the digital environment: Revised typology of risks.
Reinke, W. M., et al. (2016). The importance of school-family partnerships in student behavior. School Psychology Review, 45(1), 83–96.
Reyes, M., & David, C. (2021). Increasing guidance referrals in Philippine public schools. Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 19(2), 112–128.
Rideout, V., & Robb, M. (2022). The common sense census: Media use by tweens and teens.
Rowe, M. L., & Snow, C. E. (2020). Analyzing input quality in language development. Annual Review of Linguistics, 6, 435–454.
Rubio, J. (2022). Social media as linguistic input among Filipino learners. Philippine ESL Journal, 28, 60–79.
Taguchi, N. (2015). Instructed pragmatics at a glance. Language Teaching, 48(1), 1–50.
Tan, P., & Gatchalian, M. (2022). The digital influence on student behavior in rural schools. Masbate Educational Review, 7(1), 55–70.
Teng, Z., et al. (2021). Peer influence and behavioral development among children. Children and Youth Services Review, 121, 105–116.
Wahyudi, A. (2021). Language adoption from gaming livestreams among Indonesian youth. Journal of Southeast Asian Education, 12(3), 44–59.
Zhang, L., & Lee, J. (2021). Children’s imitation of online influencers. Asian Journal of Communication, 31(4), 289–305.
