New practice of Moroccan Arabic on social networks

Abstract

Abstract:

Social media has revolutionized the way individuals socialize, communicate, and exchange information. They now constitute preferred platforms for socializing, entertainment, and exchange. For young Moroccans in particular, social media is a platform where geographical and social boundaries are skillfully erased. It also allows them to connect with previously inaccessible people. It also constitutes a cultural and linguistic crossroads, where languages ​​and communication codes intersect and blend.

Young Moroccans use a variety of languages ​​to communicate online, including Arabic, Amazigh, French, English, Spanish, and others, depending on the situation and the audience. Darija, or Moroccan Arabic, continues to dominate daily dialogue. New writing styles, born from the internet and the use of emojis, have also emerged, innovating the way we communicate.

For this study, a corpus was created from screenshots of Facebook user conversations. This content was then analyzed to identify trends in language use and communication styles. This process involves a qualitative interpretation of interactions and a categorization of different language uses. So, how do young Moroccans transition between different languages ​​and modes of expression on social media, and what new script forms are observed in the collected corpus?