Usage of cyber slang and its influence on the writing proficiency of junior high school students in Divine Word College of San Jose

International Journal of Research Studies in Management
Divine Word College of San Jose Special Issue
2026 Volume 14 Issue 2

Available Online: 2 April 2026

Author/s:

Salas, Johan Mc Chessney D.*
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (Chssny.20@gmail.com)

Escala, Antonette Marie M.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (taetaexxi07@gmail.com)

Generale, Jairah C.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (jairahgenerale234@gmail.com)

Garcia, Charles Kelly A.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (garciacharleskelly@gmail.com)

Matin-ao, Vien Shaher R.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (shahermatins@gmail.com)

Valdez, Erna Joy T.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (ejtvaldez1996@gmail.com)

Abstract:

As social communication continues to influence language use among students, many studies have shown the negative impact of slang use on writing proficiency. This study was conducted to identify the relationship between the usage of cyber slang and the writing proficiency of junior high school students at Divine Word College of San Jose. The researchers used a descriptive-correlational research design, with 207 students as the study’s respondents. The methods for collecting the important data require obtaining permission from the school administration and disseminating structured questionnaires to selected respondents. The study investigates the use of cyber slang, including acronyms and abbreviations, alphanumeric slang, shortened words, and internet phrases. Writing proficiency was evaluated in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. The study revealed that both usage of cyber slang and writing proficiency were at a moderate-high level. A significant but very weak relationship was found between demographic profile and writing proficiency. Nevertheless, it was found that there is no significant relationship between the usage of cyber slang and writing proficiency. The results suggest that although students often use cyber slang in online communication, it does not significantly influence their academic writing proficiency. This study recommends that the school observe and evaluate writing development across grade levels to ensure that students’ writing skills continually improve as they develop academically. Lastly, future researchers must investigate other factors that could affect writing proficiency to obtain a wider understanding of students’ writing development.

Keywords: cyber slang usage, writing proficiency, academic writing, writing development, alphanumeric slang

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsm.2026.26022

Cite this article:
Salas, J. M. C. D., Escala, A. M. M., Generale, J. C., Garcia, C. K. A., Matin-ao, V. S. R., & Valdez, E. J. T. (2026). Usage of cyber slang and its influence on the writing proficiency of junior high school students in Divine Word College of San Jose. International Journal of Research Studies in Management, 14(2), 127-137. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsm.2026.26022

* Corresponding Author