DISCOURSE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AS PART OF ELECTRONIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of electronic discourse, namely, its varieties in the context of studying communication on the Internet and social networking sites. The aim of the research is to develop a typology of discourses mediated by electronic devices. For this purpose, the specified types of discourses were distinguished and interpreted on the basis of the works of Ukrainian and Spanish-speaking scientists; the differences between virtual, Internet, online, computer, computer-mediated, electronic, social network and network discourses are clarified; discourse of social networking sites is interpreted as a speech representation of a communicative act that was implemented in social networking sites; a typology relevant for the Ukrainian and Spanish terminological systems has been developed. We believe that the term “electronic discourse” is a hyperonym that unites all the above types of discourse. In view of this, the following hierarchy (from hyperonym to hyponym) seems correct: electronic discourse, computer discourse (synonym: computer-mediated discourse), virtual discourse, Internet discourse, (synonym: online discourse), discourse of social networking sites (synonyms: discourse of social networks, social network discourse). The hierarchy of Spanish-language terminological compounds is similar. Unlike Ukrainian scientists, Spanish-speaking researchers mostly do not distinguish the discourse of social networking sites as a separate type of discourse. However, we suggest adding to the Spanish term system the concept of “discurso de las redes sociales” (discourse of social networking sites), since communication in social networks has become an integral part of the life of a modern person, and social networks themselves are a unique platform for communication on the Internet and the subject of research by many scientists. We consider further thorough research of the communicative space of social networking sites to be promising.