Study of the Internet Language as a New Semiotic System

Abstract

The dynamics of modern technologies leads to the creation of new multimedia means of communication, especially on the Internet. The relevance of this study lies in exploring Internet communication as a new form of communication, characterized by a high degree of digitalization and having a profound impact on language. The purpose of this article was to identify and analyse the frequency of use of new linguosemiotic means of Internet communication. The research is based on the works and concepts of semiotics, Internet linguistics, media linguistics, pragmatics, communication theory, cognitive linguistics and sociolinguistics. The methods used include observation, content analysis, experiment in the form of a sociolinguistic questionnaire, and interpretive analysis. The author systematizes hybrid verbal (written and oral) and non-verbal (graphic, audial, musical) means found at different semiotic levels of the Internet language. The results of the study demonstrate that the Internet language is not just a hybrid between the oral and the written forms, but a new form of language that develops according to its own laws and produces its own creative genres. Based on a content analysis of 1500 online messages and a survey of 205 users, it was found that digital communication is actively selecting and creating semiotic signs that combine emotionality, interactivity, attractiveness and personalization. The dominance of visual and auditory elements is accompanied by the adaptation of textual and game formats to new algorithms. The increased use of multicode symbols is driven by the need to compress information and accelerate its transmission. The identified trends allow us to single out Internet language as a new semiotic system. This paper contributes to Internet linguistics, cognitive linguistics and media linguistics by expanding our understanding of linguistic processes on the Internet. The analysis of the linguistic features of Internet communication, including specific vocabulary, grammatical structures, spelling and symbols (emoticons, smileys, emoji, etc.), contributes to a better understanding and use of the Internet language for scientific and practical purposes. At the same time, it is important to draw attention to the problem of poor use of language as well as to control the Internet language, which calls for new research approaches.