Intergenerational Communication on Instagram and TikTok: A Comparative Analysis of Language Styles and Visual Usage Among Algerian Millennials and Generation Z

Abstract

In the modern era, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have radically transformed how individuals from different generational cohorts communicate virtually. Indeed, these platforms not only create a virtual space that facilitates bridging the gap between different age cohorts, but also encourage users through features such as filters, trending sounds, emojis, hashtags, and visual storytelling tools to express themselves in diverse, multimodal manners that go beyond text alone. This includes the use of distinct language styles and visual strategies that reflect generational identities. Although previous studies have explored Millennials’ and Generation Z’s linguistic and visual preferences of Instagram and TikTok, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these generational differences manifest in the Algerian context. This study aims at comparing and analyzing the specific language styles and visual strategies used by Algerian Millennials and Generation Z in their intergenerational communication on Instagram and TikTok. The study uses a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. A survey is administered to 209 participants that are stratified by generation to collect data on their language and visual preferences. Additionally, focus groups are conducted to explore the factors influencing these preferences, such as cultural influences, technological familiarity, and generational identity. Then, content analysis of selected social media posts is performed to identify patterns in language and visual usage. The findings reveal some differences between the two generations and how they use language styles and visuals on Instagram and TikTok. Millennials prefer a balanced combination of formal and informal language with medium image content, but Generation Z prefer informal slang-based language and emotive images, especially on TikTok. Those patterns somehow reflect the digital habits, cultural influences, and the avenues used by members of each generation for expression of identity and to lay the foundations for intergenerational communication in Algeria.