INTERNET POSTINGS AS A NOVEL VIRTUAL INDEXICAL NICHE

INTERNET POSTINGS AS A NOVEL VIRTUAL INDEXICAL NICHE

Author:  Karamalak O.A.

Affiliation:  Magnitogorsk State University named after G.I. Nosov

Abstract:  Social networks have become one of the most popular media of communication all over the world and posting deserves a special multidisciplinary exploration from the point of view of ecological theory, distributed and embodied perspectives on language. This paper investigates postings as a “novel virtual indexical niche” of everyday life with the orientating function. Statuses are indexical as they are contextualized by the flow of feelings and previous experience involved with it. An Internet post is directed “to the world”, it becomes “distributed”, common, global, all participants can see, read, and comment on it. Internet statuses are meaning potentials for e-discourse development or affordances, but not input-output structures. Social network users, being structurally determined but striving to distribution, both consciously and sub-consciously post statuses to orient “others” (to act, attract attention, “share”, “offload” emotional states, etc.) creating affordances for particular reactions from other Internet users.

Keywords:  Internet posting, every day consciousness, discourse, index, affordance, distributed language, ecological linguistics

References: 

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Pages:  730-732