SOCIAL MEDIA DISCOURSE AND EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE MARKERS: LINGUISTIC AND PRAGMATIC ASPECTS

Abstract

This article explores how people express emotions in social media discourse through specific linguistic tools known as emotional language markers (ELMs). Unlike face-to-face communication, digital platforms lack facial expressions and tone of voice. To fill this gap, users rely on exclamation marks, repeated letters, emojis, capitalisation, sarcasm, and other markers. This study analyses the types and functions of ELMs across Twitter (X), Telegram, and Instagram. Findings show that ELMs do more than just express feelings - they grab attention, build solidarity, create conflict, and sometimes even spread misinformation. The article also discusses challenges for artificial intelligence in detecting emotions and suggests directions for future research.