DIGITAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Digital Text
• Digital Discourse Analysis (DDA) is an
interdisciplinary field of study that explores the
ways in which language is used in digital
communication (Moshinsky, 2022).
• It involves the analysis of language used in
digital texts such as emails, chat logs, social
media posts, blogs, and online forums.
• DDA is concerned with examining how language
use in digital contexts is influenced by social,
cultural, and technological factors (Gredel,
2017; Jones et al., 2015; Thurlow & Mroczek,
2012).
• DDA is often used by researchers to explore how
people use language to construct their identities,
form relationships, and negotiate power dynamics
in online spaces.
• DDA draws on various disciplines such as linguistics,
communication studies, sociology, anthropology,
and psychology. Researchers in this field use a
range of qualitative and quantitative methods to
analyze digital discourse, including corpus analysis,
ethnography, conversation analysis, and discourse
analysis (Language & Journal, n.d.; Rossette-Crake,
2022; Thurlow & Mroczek, 2012).
• Why Digital Discourse Analysis (DDA)?
• Digital Discourse Analysis (DDA) is an important tool for
understanding the complexities of language use in the
digital age.
• With the rise of digital communication technologies, people
are communicating more frequently and in different ways
than ever before.
• This has led to new forms of language use, including the use
of emojis, acronyms, and other forms of digital shorthand.
• DDA provides a framework for analyzing and interpreting
this new language use, as well as the social, cultural, and
political contexts in which it occurs (Darics, 2015; Insights &
Directions, 2019; Jones et al., 2015; Thurlow & Mroczek,
2012).
• What is Language Technology?
• Language technology also called Human Language
Technology (HLT) is the late 1990s outgrowth of 40
years of research into natural language processing
(NLP), a subfield of artificial intelligence.
• Language Technology is about teaching
computers how to understand the complexities of
human language.
• Examples: This includes things like speech
recognition software (like Siri or Google Assistant),
translation apps, and even text editing tools that
help with grammar.
• Historical Evolution of HLT:
• Unintentional signals & gestures
• Sounds, precursors to words
• Naming useful objects
• Early Writing Systems: cuneiform in Mesopotamia or
hieroglyphs in Egypt. These were some of the first
ways to record language.
• Alphabets emerged from these symbols.
• Advancements: Over time, these systems evolved into
more complex forms. For instance, the invention of the
printing press in the 15th century allowed books to be
printed quickly and shared widely, making written
language more accessible
• Some of the key concepts and themes that are
explored in DDA, include(Digital & Heritage, 2007)
(Digital & Heritage, 2007; Insights & Directions,
2019; Thurlow & Mroczek, 2012):

• 1. Identity construction: DDA examines how people

use language to construct and present their
identities in digital communication. This includes
exploring how individuals use language to express
their personal beliefs, values, and attitudes, as well
as how they use language to signal membership in
particular groups or communities. (Caroline Tagg)
• 2. Power dynamics: Language can be utilized in many
different ways and in many different environments
to gain, assert, or maintain power.
• 1. Showing and Maintaining Power:
• Example: Politicians, celebrities use their language, like
endorsements or messages, to influence others. Their
posts can shape what people talk about, buy, or even
believe in. This is a way of showing their power.
• 2. Challenging Power (resist or challenge power relations)
• Example: Imagine a hashtag like #MeToo on Twitter.
• 3. marginalize or exclude certain groups
• (Insights & Directions, 2019; Language & Journal, n.d.;
Susilo & Sugihartati, 2019).
• 3. Emotion: DDA recognizes that emotions play an
important role in digital communication and
explores how emotions are expressed, recognized,
and responded to in online spaces. This includes
examining how emoticons, emojis, and other visual
cues are used to express emotions, as well as how
language is used to express emotional states and
respond to emotional cues.
Combining Different Ways to Show Emotion:
• Example: In social media posts, people might use a
combination of text, emojis, and images to show
how they feel.
• 4. Language, technology & Gender: Just as
language use differs across the genders during
spoken discourse, it changes when technology is
added to the equation.
• Technology can be a powerful tool in building and
sharing one's identity, and gender is a significant
factor. Therefore, different genders will inherently
make different linguistic choices over social media.
• Deborah Tannen (1990) said that women are
generally more supportive, intimate and
emotional than men2. This can often be seen on
social media with the common 'u ok, hun?'
comment (meaning 'are you okay, hunny?').
• 5. Social norms and expectations: DDA also
explores how language use in digital
communication is shaped by social norms and
expectations. This includes examining how
people use language to conform to or
challenge social norms, how they negotiate
linguistic and cultural differences, and how
they respond to linguistic and cultural diversity
within online communities.
• 6. Multimodality: Digital communication involves
the use of multiple modes of communication,
including text, images, and video. DDA explores
how these different modes of communication
are used in conjunction with language to create
meaning in digital communication. This includes
examining how multimodal communication can
be used to express emotions, convey complex
ideas, and create new forms of expression and
communication (Insights & Directions, 2019;
Jones et al., 2015; Moreno-Almeida, 2021;
Moshinsky, 2022; Rossette-Crake, 2022)
• 7. Creativity and innovation: DDA also
examines how people use language creatively
and innovatively in digital communication
(Darics, 2015; Michael Keren and Richard
Hawkins, 2015; Rossette-Crake, 2022). This
includes exploring how people create new
linguistic forms and practices in online spaces,
how they use language to express themselves
in new and creative ways, and how they use
language to push the boundaries of traditional
linguistic norms and conventions.
• 8. Context: DDA recognizes the importance of
context in shaping language use in digital
communication. This includes examining how
different contexts, such as online communities
or social media platforms, influence the ways
in which people use language. By analyzing
language use within specific contexts, DDA can
identify patterns and variations in language
use and provide insights into how context
shapes communication practices.
• 9. Privacy and surveillance: DDA recognizes that digital
communication often involves complex negotiations of privacy
and surveillance, and explores how language is used to navigate
these tensions. This includes examining how language is used to
negotiate boundaries of privacy and intimacy, how it is used to
resist or challenge surveillance practices, and how it is used to
create alternative forms of communication and exchange that
prioritize privacy and security.
• 10. Ethics and responsibility: DDA recognizes the importance of
ethical and responsible language use in digital communication
and explores how individuals and communities navigate these
issues. This includes examining how language use is influenced
by norms of civility and respect, how it is used to resist or
challenge harmful or discriminatory practices, and how it is
used to create more ethical and responsible communication
practices in digital spaces.
• 11. Audience: DDA recognizes that language
use is often tailored to specific audiences, and
explores how people adapt their language use
depending on their intended audience. This
includes examining how language is used to
create intimacy or distance, how it is used to
establish rapport or authority, and how it is
used to appeal to particular groups or
individuals.
• 12. Globalization:
• Global Nature of Digital Communication: People from different
countries and cultures interact online, so digital communication
isn’t limited to just one place—it’s global.
• Influence of English: English is widely used online and often acts as
a common language for people from different backgrounds to
communicate. DDA looks at how this spread of English affects
language use in digital spaces.
• Navigating Differences: When people from different cultures
interact online, they may speak different languages or have
different ways of communicating. DDA explores how these
differences are handled and understood in online conversations.
• New Ways of Communicating Across Borders: The internet allows
for new forms of communication that cross national and cultural
boundaries. DDA studies how these new types of global
conversations and cultural exchanges happen.
• 13. Participatory culture:
• Participatory culture in digital spaces is all about people actively getting
involved, not just watching or reading, but creating, sharing, and
interacting with others online. Here’s what it looks at:
• How People Join In: It looks at how language helps people join and
participate in online communities. For example, when people use specific
words, phrases, or hashtags, they show that they understand and are part of
the group.

• Working Together Online: It studies how people use language to work

together on projects, like creating videos, writing stories, or collaborating
on something creative or educational. Language helps organize and
manage these group efforts.

• Feeling Like a Community: It examines how people use language to

create a sense of community. This could be using jokes, shared terms, or
common interests that make people feel connected, even if they’ve never
met in person.
• 14. Methodologies: Finally, DDA recognizes
that different methodological approaches are
needed to study language use in digital
communication, and explores different
approaches and techniques for collecting and
analyzing digital discourse data. This includes
examining the strengths and limitations of
different methods, such as corpus linguistics,
critical discourse analysis, and ethnography,
and exploring new and emerging
methodologies for studying digital
communication.
Positive Effects of Language Technology
• Accessibility: Technology makes learning languages easier.
Apps like Duolingo offer lessons at no cost, making
language education available to more people.
• Translation Tools: Services like Google Translate help
people communicate even if they don’t speak the same
language, breaking down barriers.
• Negative Effects of Language Technology
• Loss of Language Diversity: As global languages like English
become more dominant, many smaller languages are at
risk of disappearing.
• Example: Many indigenous languages are losing speakers
because people often prefer to use more widely spoken
languages, especially in digital spaces