CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The southern accent is rapidly disappearing and Gen Z's might be to blame.
For years, linguists across the U.S. have seen a decline in the classic Southern drawl, and the younger generation might be the nail in its coffin.
Researchers in Georgia listened to hundreds of hours of archived speech recordings, starting in the late 1900's. The study found that today’s college students don’t sound like their parents.
And while Gen Z might get the blame for the decline in accent, research shows the decline started much earlier. The most notable changes were found between the baby boomers and Generation X, born between 1965 and 1982.
And it's not just happening in the south - loss of these regional accents can be seen from California to Boston. In large part, it's thanks to more people moving around the country, and the internet.
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