THE CONCEPT OF DISCOURSE AND LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF SOCIAL NETWORK DISCOURSE

Abstract

This article explores the concept of discourse and examines the linguistic characteristics of social media discourse within the framework of contemporary discourse studies. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on the works of Michel Foucault, who conceptualized discourse as a form of socially constructed knowledge, Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, and Teun A. van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of discourse. Social media discourse is viewed as a distinct form of digital communication characterized by interactivity, fragmentation, multimodality, and pragmatic orientation. Drawing on studies by Susan C. Herring and David Crystal, the article analyzes lexical, syntactic, and communicative features of online interaction. The findings contribute to media linguistics and discourse analysis by providing a systematic understanding of language use in digital environments.