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Chapter 7. A cognitive pragmatics of the phatic Internet

  • Francisco Yus
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Emotion in Discourse
This chapter is in the book Emotion in Discourse

Abstract

Phatic interpretations are typically defined as those arising from an intention to create and maintain ties and social bonds, rather than an intention to transfer substantive information. As such, they are not typical instances of communication in which the eventual relevance centers upon the value of explicitly communicated content. Nowadays we are witnessing the so-called phatic Internet, in which the propositional content transferred to other users is increasingly irrelevant but the effects that this content generates (in terms of emotions and feelings of connection, sociability, group membership, friends’ acknowledgment and mutual awareness, etc.) are utterly relevant. This chapter will argue that it is mainly the feelings and emotions that are generated from phatic interactions (as well as phatic implicatures) that demand an extension of the scope of analysis and new terminology. Specifically, the term phatic effects will be proposed and applied to Internet-mediated communication. These effects are devoid of the qualities of intentionality and propositionality but are nevertheless essential to understanding why many users spend hours exchanging (apparently) irrelevant content with one another through the Net.

Abstract

Phatic interpretations are typically defined as those arising from an intention to create and maintain ties and social bonds, rather than an intention to transfer substantive information. As such, they are not typical instances of communication in which the eventual relevance centers upon the value of explicitly communicated content. Nowadays we are witnessing the so-called phatic Internet, in which the propositional content transferred to other users is increasingly irrelevant but the effects that this content generates (in terms of emotions and feelings of connection, sociability, group membership, friends’ acknowledgment and mutual awareness, etc.) are utterly relevant. This chapter will argue that it is mainly the feelings and emotions that are generated from phatic interactions (as well as phatic implicatures) that demand an extension of the scope of analysis and new terminology. Specifically, the term phatic effects will be proposed and applied to Internet-mediated communication. These effects are devoid of the qualities of intentionality and propositionality but are nevertheless essential to understanding why many users spend hours exchanging (apparently) irrelevant content with one another through the Net.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements xi
  4. Introduction
  5. Chapter 1. Emotion processes in discourse 3
  6. Section I. Emotion, syntax and the lexicon
  7. Chapter 2. The multifunctionality of swear/taboo words in television series 29
  8. Chapter 3. The syntax of an emotional expletive in English 55
  9. Chapter 4. Interjections and emotions 87
  10. Chapter 5. Expressing emotions without emotional lexis 113
  11. Chapter 6. The value of left and right 139
  12. Section II. Pragmatics and emotion
  13. Chapter 7. A cognitive pragmatics of the phatic Internet 161
  14. Chapter 8. Humor and mirth 189
  15. Chapter 9. My anger was justified surely? 213
  16. Section III. Interdisciplinary studies
  17. Chapter 10. Emotion and language ‘at work’ 247
  18. Chapter 11. The effects of linguistic proficiency, Trait Emotional Intelligence and in-group advantage on emotion recognition by British and American English L1 users 279
  19. Chapter 12. Rethinking Martin & White’s affect taxonomy 301
  20. Section IV. Emotion in different discourse types
  21. Chapter 13. Victims, heroes and villains in newsbites 335
  22. Chapter 14. Promoemotional science? 357
  23. Name index 387
  24. Subject index 395
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.302.07yus

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Acknowledgements xi
  4. Introduction
  5. Chapter 1. Emotion processes in discourse 3
  6. Section I. Emotion, syntax and the lexicon
  7. Chapter 2. The multifunctionality of swear/taboo words in television series 29
  8. Chapter 3. The syntax of an emotional expletive in English 55
  9. Chapter 4. Interjections and emotions 87
  10. Chapter 5. Expressing emotions without emotional lexis 113
  11. Chapter 6. The value of left and right 139
  12. Section II. Pragmatics and emotion
  13. Chapter 7. A cognitive pragmatics of the phatic Internet 161
  14. Chapter 8. Humor and mirth 189
  15. Chapter 9. My anger was justified surely? 213
  16. Section III. Interdisciplinary studies
  17. Chapter 10. Emotion and language ‘at work’ 247
  18. Chapter 11. The effects of linguistic proficiency, Trait Emotional Intelligence and in-group advantage on emotion recognition by British and American English L1 users 279
  19. Chapter 12. Rethinking Martin & White’s affect taxonomy 301
  20. Section IV. Emotion in different discourse types
  21. Chapter 13. Victims, heroes and villains in newsbites 335
  22. Chapter 14. Promoemotional science? 357
  23. Name index 387
  24. Subject index 395
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