Linguistic prejudice and xenophobia in relation to the non-standard use of the portuguese language in social media

Abstract

Bearing in mind that language is dynamic and subject to linguistic variations due to factors such as the region and the social and cultural conditions where it is used, this article aims to investigate prejudice about linguistic varieties and xenophobia in relation to refers to the non-standard use of the Portuguese language on social media. This is because social media has become a means for the dissemination of linguistic prejudice linked to xenophobia, where anyone who does not speak according to the rules of the standard norm is discriminated against and exposed to ridicule. To this end, we present some situations that illustrate the prejudice faced by Portuguese language speakers who use the non-standard norm. From the analysis, we verified that this prejudice is rooted in our society and has been gaining strength as linguistic diversity is denied, the concept of language is distorted and disseminated on the internet. Therefore, it is essential to rethink our actions on social media in relation to language and dialects, as no way of speaking Portuguese is wrong or inferior to another.