THE USE OF CODE-MIXING IN INDIAN-ENGLISH YOUTUBE VLOGS: IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN DIGITAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

This study examines the usage of code-mixing in Indian-English YouTube vlogs and in specific it understands its contribution to the construction of identity in the digital discourse. Especially in social media, code-mixing is an inevitable attribute of communication in multilingual societies as there is mixing of more than two languages in a single discourse. This paper will observe how Indian vinegars on YouTube execute code-mixing as one of the approaches in the creation of their online personas and the need to expand their linguistic groups worldwide. By means of discourse analysis, the given study provides analysis of linguistic decisions which reflect the social, cultural, and personal identities of the vloggers, as well as presents engagement of the vloggers with their audiences. These are the results that indicate that code-mixing can be viewed as a linguistic tool as well as a performative action, which can enable vloggers to portray themselves as authentic, relatable and culturally relatable characters. The study can help in learning more about how language, identity and digital culture intersect in a globalized, multi lingual society.