TXTSM: FEATURES OF NET SPEAK IN COLLEGE STUDENTS’ SMS AND FACEBOOK MESSENGER

Aims: This study explores the linguistic and non-linguistic features of textism in SMS and Facebook Messenger exchanges among Filipino college students. It investigates how students use digital language creatively and strategically, shaped by cultural norms, communicative intent, and platform-specific affordances. Study design: The study employed a descriptive-qualitative research design. Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted at St. Peter’s College, Iligan City, Philippines, from January 2024 to March 2024. Methodology: A total of 100 screenshots from actual SMS and Facebook Messenger conversations were collected from student participants. Data were thematically coded following Drum’s (2015) classification of textism, supplemented by Crystal’s (2008) theory on digital discourse and Ignacio and De Jesus’s (2021) insights on multilingual texting in the Philippines. Textisms were categorized as linguistic (e.g., code-switching, abbreviations, phonetic spellings) or non-linguistic (e.g., emojis, punctuation, capitalization), with two emergent types identified under a new category. Results: Code-switching was the most frequently observed linguistic feature, followed by abbreviations, culturally grounded expressions, and creative spellings. Non-linguistic features included emojis, visual stylizations, and expressive punctuation. Two emergent categories—stylized phrasing or phonetic adaptation (e.g., “ay gatchu”) and phonetic approximation (e.g., “latch” for “halata”)—were identified as innovative non-linguistic forms that simulate speech and reflect in-group identity. Four major themes emerged: balancing efficiency and expressiveness, adaptability across contexts, cultural expression and identity, and the interplay of linguistic and non-linguistic features. Facebook Messenger supported more multimodal, expressive forms of textism, while SMS constrained expression due to technical limitations, encouraging abbreviation and compression. These patterns revealed that students made deliberate, contextsensitive choices in managing tone, efficiency, and social presence in digital communication. Conclusion: The findings affirm that textism is not indicative of linguistic decline but represents an adaptive, culturally situated strategy of communication. The integration of linguistic and non-linguistic features, including newly identified forms, demonstrates students' multimodal fluency and their ability to construct socially meaningful, emotionally expressive, and efficient digital messages in everyday interaction.