Minorities in the Digital Space: Vojvodina Hungarians’ Digital Presence, Language Choices, and Language Use Online
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18485/philologia.2024.22.22.2Keywords:
digital language use, minorities in the digital space, digital habits, multilingual environment, English-dominated online spaces, Hungarian minority, language choices, multilingualism, Vojvodina HungariansAbstract
The present study explores the digital media practices and language use tendencies of the Vojvodina Hungarian minority, shedding light on their participation in digital spaces, language preferences, and factors influencing their language choices both online and offline. Through a series of research questions, the study aims to identify the extent of the Vojvodina Hungarians’ digital involvement and engagement, how they use their languages in online and offline settings, and the roles digital spaces have for them as a minority. The findings revealed that although Vojvodina Hungarians regularly consume digital media and a variety of internet content in Hungarian, Serbian, and English, they are not overly active in online content creation. While Hungarian remains dominant in face-to-face communication, English slightly outweighs Hungarian in online content consumption. Additionally, younger participants displayed a stronger digital presence and are more inclined towards multilingual language mixing. Despite challenges, participants express support for multilingualism and recognize its advantages in navigating personal and professional contexts.
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