Sociolinguistic Features of Netspeak

The main purpose of this thesis is to examine how the situational context of online communication influences the linguistic features of discourse, and to examine how the purpose of the exchanges can affect the development of group identity and cohesion. The thesis provides an overview of important concepts in the interdisciplinary study of digitally mediated communication. In relation to the theoretical framework, distinctive features of Netspeak are discussed, with a special focus given to the notions of context and self-presentation in digitally mediated communication. The research methodology is subsequently described, and the discourse is analysed in terms of Gricean maxims, grammar specifics, vocabulary, orthography, emoticons/emojis usage, code-switching etc. A case study of a WhatsApp group chat among employees at a Zagreb company is presented, particularly in connection with sociolinguistic implications of the analysed discourse. The research has found that communication via WhatsApp can play an important role in the development of social bonds: the analysis of discourse has shown that the chat was mostly used for phatic purposes, which were realised by using different WhatsApp modalities and Netspeak features to enhance monotonous textual exchanges. The chat played a significant role in the development of group cohesion, not only online, but correspondingly offline as well