The article examines the influence of social networks on the development and transformation of the lexical system of the Russian language in the context of the active spread of digital technologies and Internet communication. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing role of social media platforms in shaping the modern linguistic environment and the emergence of new linguistic units that are actively entering the everyday speech of users. The purpose of the study is to identify the characteristics of changes in the lexical composition of the Russian language under the influence of social networks and to analyze the main trends in the development of Internet communication. The research employs descriptive, comparative, and lexical-semantic analysis methods. Particular attention is paid to the processes of the emergence of new words and expressions, the activation of borrowed vocabulary, the formation of Internet slang, the spread of abbreviations and acronyms, and the transformation of the meanings of existing lexical units. The study demonstrates that social networks serve not only as a means of communication but also as an important factor in language change, influencing the development of speech culture and the expansion of the Russian vocabulary. The obtained results may be applied in the fields of linguistics, Russian language teaching, and the study of modern communication processes.
Publication Date: 2026-06-18