Language Patterns: How Tiktok is Reshaping Uganda’s Linguistic Landscapes

Abstract

This study explores how TikTok is transforming the linguistic interactions of Uganda, especially among youth. It examines how language use, code-switching, and the introduction of new digital dialects can impact a rapidly changing linguistic situation in a digital society. Uganda is a multilingual nation with over 40 indigenous languages, facing considerable pressure to experience a language pattern in which TikTok promotes and strengthens the hegemony of English and Luganda while further marginalizing smaller language groups. The paper analyses 100 TikTok videos and observes participants to show how economic incentives have accelerated linguistic homogeneity through hybrid forms, such as “Luglish.” Although TikTok allows for creative outlets through digital slang and code-switching, the platform undermines indigenous language preservation as its content favors the use of dominant languages. There are erosive effects to the broader linguistic landscape, yet, counter-movements involving TikTok should not be ignored because TikTok allows for language revival efforts. The study ends with a discussion of policy recommendations that facilitate a blending of significantly traditional forms of life with digital modernity in a multilingual Uganda