Social media drives language change in children’s writing

In a fascinating study, we have explored how social media is reshaping children’s language. The analysis of over 43,000 stories submitted by 5-11-year-olds to the BBC 500 Words 2024 competition highlights intriguing trends in vocabulary and themes.

The stories have been analysed by a team of lexicographers, researchers, and editors at OUP, who have partnered with BBC 500 Words for over 10 years to produce a series of children’s language reports. The stories have been added to the Oxford Children’s Corpus, one of the world’s largest databases of children’s written language in English, containing over half a billion words and which is regularly used to inform OUP’s wider language research.

Andrea Quincey, Product Director for Early Years and Primary Publishing, expressed delight in analysing the creative submissions:

“Every year it is a joy to analyse the fantastic stories submitted to the BBC 500 Words competition and produce our language research. The competition not only plays a vital role in supporting children’s creative writing but also contributes to one of the nation’s largest bodies of ongoing research into children’s language.”

Taylor Swift tops the charts

Taylor Swift emerged as the most written-about celebrity in children’s language, with mentions soaring by over 170% from the previous year. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi also featured prominently, maintaining their status as enduring figures in children’s imaginations.

New vocabulary trends

Social media trends are introducing new words into children’s writing. The term fanum tax—inspired by content creator Fanum—and the increased use of glitch as a verb reflect the digital influence on young writers. Capybaras, popularized by TikTok, saw an 11% rise in mentions, showcasing the impact of viral content.

Decade-long insights

Our decade-long research reveals consistent themes and characters in children’s stories. Jack and Lily remain top character names, while timeless figures like Cinderella, Harry Potter, Superman, and Batman continue to captivate young minds. Minecraft retains its position as the most written-about game, with Inside Out 2 inspiring stories featuring emotions as characters in their writing.

Helen Foulkes, Head of BBC Education, highlighted the influence of media on children’s language, celebrating the diverse and imaginative stories from across the UK: “This report shows how children’s language is influenced by what they see and the media they consume, whether that’s timeless favourites like Cinderella or trends on social media. We’re proud to celebrate the fantastic stories children have submitted from all across the UK to the BBC 500 Words competition and our ongoing collaboration with Oxford University Press provides crucial insights into how children’s language continually develops.”

Our research underscores the evolving nature of children’s language, driven by social media and popular culture, and highlights the enduring themes that continue to inspire young writers. You can read the Oxford Children’s Language Report 2024 here.