๐
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the change in word choice in Indonesian children's songs from the classical to modern times as a reflection of the shift in the social environment in the digital era. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with a content analysis method on eight children's songs, consisting of four classic songs by A. T. Mahmud and four popular modern songs on digital platforms such as YouTube. The results showed that classical songs highlight concrete and local vocabulary that describe children's closeness to nature, family, and moral values, while modern songs are dominated by global, repetitive, and phonetic vocabulary that reflect the influence of globalization and the digital lifestyle of today's children. In addition, modern songs tend to contain simple expressions that are easy to remember, but have minimal educational value compared to classical songs that are more loaded with moral messages. This shift shows that the language in children's songs not only serves as a medium of entertainment, but also reflects the changing social and cultural values of Indonesian society. Therefore, the study of children's song language is important to understand the dynamics of popular cultural development that affects the process of character formation of the younger generation.