Hate speech on social media is an increasingly widespread phenomenon in line with the expansion of freedom of expression in digital spaces, particularly targeting public figures who are under public scrutiny due to personal issues. However, studies that specifically analyze this phenomenon using a forensic linguistics approach in the context of Instagram comment sections remain limited. This study aims to examine indications of hate speech produced by netizens in the comment section of the Instagram account of actor Teuku Ryan by employing a forensic linguistics approach. The research used a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical method, with data sources consisting of netizen comments on Teuku Ryan’s Instagram post published on 30 April 2024 and collected in May 2024. Data were obtained using observation and note-taking techniques, then analyzed based on the types of hate speech and the linguistic units through which they were expressed. The findings reveal 119 instances of hate speech divided into four types, namely insults, defamation, blasphemy, and incitement, with insulting expressions as the most dominant category. In terms of linguistic units, hate speech was most frequently realized in the form of sentences rather than words and phrases, indicating a tendency among netizens to express hate speech explicitly and directly. These findings affirm that a forensic linguistics approach is relevant and effective for identifying and analyzing hate speech objectively on the basis of linguistic evidence within legal and social contexts, and can serve as a reference for efforts to address and prevent hate speech offenses in digital spaces.

ABSTRACT In the face of a fast-moving and corrosive digital current, the primordial literary performances of traditional Africa have been challenged to acclimatize to new forms, trends and thematic discourses. The 21st century oral artist, hence, is left to grapple with the arduous responsibility of adapting to the innovations imposed by the digital space and every multi-media apparatus to present their artistic vision. This paper consequently explores the Nigerian spoken word poetry as a form of digital rendition which extensively demonstrates the flexibility, syncretism and dynamism of African orature. With analytical focus on the renditions of Dike Chukwumerije and Titilope Sonuga, the paper adopts the New Historicist approach to explore the creative oeuvre of the artists as a commentary on sociopolitical realities against relevant historical backdrops with the aim of moral reclamation. It equally draws from relevant aspects of digital orality and the performance theory to enrich the analysis of the poetic renditions. The paper summarises that with technological advancements, the oral rendition has neither been rendered moribund, nor extinct, but has evidenced remarkable adaptability to serve the sustained purpose of entertainment, archival, social criticism, political satire and redemption of declining values.

This study uses the example of the 2014 Kamishiro Fault Earthquake Disaster Archive, which collects digital materials on the 2014 Kamishiro Fault Earthquake in Nagano Prefecture and makes them accessible on the Internet. It examines what constitutes an effective disaster digital archive in order to transmit disaster records and lessons learned within the local community, as well as the archive’s future outlook. The study further discusses the creation of a space for disaster lore transmission through the construction and utilization of a disaster digital archive. Since the 2014 Kamishiro Fault Earthquake is regarded as a local disaster even within Japan, both in terms of its limited geographical impact and its level of social recognition, the significance of preserving these disaster records lies primarily in their utilization by residents of the affected areas. The key to preserving such local disasters records lies in the self-directed use of disaster digital archives by local communities, particularly for learning-related purposes, such as school education, lifelong learning, and tourism. This study highlights the importance of interactive use between the digital archive (digital space) and off-site bases (real space), as well as the need for personnel training and the establishment of appropriate mechanisms to support disaster lore transmission. It proposes this approach as an effective means of disaster lore transmission, through which the experiences of past disasters are recorded and passed on to future generations.

(De-)legitimization strategies in political memefication highlight the pivotal role of digital media in constructing and contesting political narratives. In recent years, the spread of misinformation, the growth of political polarization, and the rise of online activism have made memefication a significant force in contemporary political communication. This study investigates how political memes construct political discourse through (de-)legitimization strategies such as authorization, moral evaluation, rationalization, and mythopoesis. Using qualitative content analysis, it examined political memes sourced from social media platforms. The findings reveal that memes utilize humour, satire, and intertextuality to reinforce or undermine political legitimacy. The findings also confirm that memefication in political discourse employs all four (de-)legitimization strategies, demonstrating their role in shaping public perceptions and influencing political narratives. Additionally, memes contribute to ideological biases, influence voter behaviour, and simplify complex political debates. This study contributes to linguistics by exploring how language, multimodal elements, and intertextuality in memes function as strategic tools of (de-)legitimization in political discourse. It offers valuable insights into how digital political communication reshapes discourse structures, ideological alignments, and persuasive strategies. For linguists, this study provides a framework for analyzing the intersection of discourse analysis, semiotics, and digital rhetoric in today’s online political landscape. By highlighting the linguistic and semiotic mechanisms within memes, this research underscores the importance of media literacy in critically interpreting political narratives in digital spaces.

The representations and receptions of gender and sexuality borderline-crossing actions, such as cross-dressing, or homosexuality and homosexual narratives, have always sparked negative reactions among Nigerians in real-life or digital spaces. This paper approaches the discourse from another perspective by paying attention to the ‘minorities within a minority,’ which are MtF cross-dressers. We examined public engagements and reactions to a video of one of Nigeria’s famous cross-dressers and self-proclaimed drag queen, James Brown, which was posted on a Facebook platform. We sampled 20 of the comments to examine the perspectives of Nigerians concerning MtF cross-dressing. Through the comments, we examined how opposition to MtF cross-dressing is communicated through various linguistic tropes or markers by the commenters, using Critical Discourse Analysis as a framework. The reception of Mtf cross-dressing in Nigeria is negative, and in line with the findings of previous studies, Nigerians draw upon culture, religion, and standards of sanctity to substantiate their opposition against cross-dressing.

This paper explores the mechanisms of algorithmic linguistic manipulation in virtual discourse across English-, Russian-, and Kazakh-language digital platforms. It treats algorithms not merely as passive tools but as active discourse subjects that curate, suppress, and sometimes generate language in ways that influence public opinion. Drawing on empirical data from Twitter/X, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and local Kazakhstani platforms, the study uncovers non-obvious linguistic strategies employed by bots, political actors, and users—including bilingual code-switching, dialectal mimicry, semantic re-packaging, and engagement hacking. Special attention is given to Kazakhstan’s bilingual online environment and evolving digital sovereignty framework, showing how Kazakh and Russian linguistic spaces are algorithmically shaped by both domestic and foreign influence operations. The article integrates theories of language ideology, media control, and algorithmic governance to explain how discourse is engineered in digital spaces. The findings suggest that multilingualism can both complicate algorithmic moderation and serve as a defense against manipulation, depending on how communities adapt. By comparing three linguistic spheres, the article highlights structural asymmetries in content moderation and proposes context-sensitive strategies for preserving authentic digital discourse in the algorithmic age.

This study investigates the consequences of blasphemy accusations on inter‑religious harmony in Adamawa State, Nigeria—a region marked by a dual secular‑Sharia legal system and frequent mob violence linked to religious insults . The research aims to (i) quantify the frequency and nature of accusations, (ii) identify the underlying drivers, (iii) evaluate existing conflict-resolution mechanisms, and (iv) propose strategies for fostering tolerance and cooperation between Christians and Muslims. A qualitative case‑study approach was adopted. Data were gathered through 40‑60 in‑depth interviews, focus‑group discussions, and a systematic review of media reports and legal documents. Instruments were validated by experts and pre-tested, yielding high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.85) and strong inter‑rater reliability (0.82). Key findings reveal that verbal statements (40 %) and social‑media posts (33 %) dominate accusations, leading to heightened tension (62.5 %) and occasional violence (25 %). Major contributors include social-media misinformation, low religious literacy, misinterpretation of texts, personal vendettas, and resource-based disputes. Existing mechanisms such as inter-faith dialogue forums and religious-leaders’ councils show modest promise, whereas community mediation centers and government interventions are viewed as largely ineffective. The study concludes that a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder strategy combining robust legal reforms, targeted education, regulated digital spaces, and sustained inter-faith engagement is essential to curb blasphemy‑driven violence and nurture lasting peace in Adamawa State. It is recommended that we strengthen and expand inter-faith platforms, integrate civic-education programs in schools, enact clearer blasphemy statutes that meet international standards, and empower civil‑society actors to monitor and respond to incitement, thereby creating a resilient environment for inter‑religious cooperation. Implementing these steps together would provide structured spaces for dialogue, equip young people with the knowledge to respect diverse beliefs, align national legislation with global human-rights norms, and ensure that NGOs have the mandate and resources to act swiftly against hate‑driven violence.

The development of social media has changed the patterns of youth civic engagement, particularly through the role of algorithms that regulate the distribution and visibility of political information. However, studies on how algorithms are understood and experienced directly by young people from a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) perspective are still limited. This study aims to analyze how social media algorithms shape young people's attention, emotions, and civic learning processes in the digital space. This study uses a qualitative approach with a constructivist design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 young people aged 17–25 who actively use social media to access and disseminate political content. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo software through the stages of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results of the study show three main findings. First, social media algorithms shape young people's attention through automatic recommendations and repetition of certain political content. Second, algorithms reinforce affective engagement, which has the potential to drive polarization of opinion. Third, social media also functions as a space for informal civic learning through interaction with educational content and online discussions. This study confirms that algorithms play an important role in shaping young people's digital citizenship practices, thus requiring the strengthening of algorithm literacy and more accountable platform design to support healthy democratic participation.

Linguistic politeness in online interactions is an important indicator of the quality of social relations on social media, including in Instagram comment sections, which are widely used by netizens to express appreciation and support. This study aimed to describe the politeness of expressive speech acts of praising used by netizens in Instagram comment sections. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data consisting of utterances containing praise in the comment sections of three Instagram accounts, namely @jharnabhagwani, @ma.rinpo, and @arriind_. The data were collected from photo and video posts uploaded during the period July–August 2025 using observation and documentation methods, then analyzed by applying Leech’s politeness principle, which comprises six maxims: the maxim of approbation, maxim of agreement, maxim of modesty, maxim of tact, maxim of sympathy, and maxim of generosity. The findings show that, from the 130 data points analyzed, all politeness maxims were identified, with the maxim of approbation being the most dominant, indicating that Instagram comment sections function as interaction spaces oriented toward providing appreciation and positive support. In addition, the situational context of the speech event, such as the relationship between speaker and hearer, communicative goals, and the characteristics of digital communication—influenced the realization of each politeness maxim. These results demonstrate that expressive speech acts of praising on Instagram not only represent speakers’ psychological attitudes but also play a role in maintaining politeness and building harmonious social relations in digital spaces.

The presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has disrupted the landscape of Islamic broadcasting communication, shifting interaction patterns from physical pulpits to digital spaces controlled by algorithms. This study aims to analyze ethical challenges and formulate adaptation strategies for da'is and Islamic broadcasting practitioners in facing the era of content automation. The method used is qualitative with a library research approach, examining literature, journals, and recent reports regarding AI and da'wah from the 2020-2025 period. The results show that the use of AI in da'wah presents two sides of the same coin: the efficiency of message dissemination (reach) and the degradation of religious authority. The main ethical challenges include algorithmic bias, the potential for deepfakes of clerics, and the loss of the sanctity of talaqqi. The strategy offered is "Akhlaq-Based Hybrid Da'wah," which integrates AI analytic capabilities with the values of tabayyun and wasathiyah (moderation) typical of Indonesia. In conclusion, KPI practitioners must not reject technology but must reorient strategies where AI functions as a tool (wasilah), not a replacement for the role of scholars as the heirs of the prophets.

Globalisation and rapid technological expansion continue to reshape linguistic structures, identities, and communicative functions across Romance and Germanic languages. These processes intensify multilingual interaction, alter digital visibility, and transform the relationship between demographic prominence and technological representation. The present study aims to examine how linguistic identity, digital inclusion, and structural resilience evolve under these global dynamics, with particular emphasis on the changing position of European languages in the digital environment. This research is designed as a systematic review following PRISMA principles, supplemented by secondary statistical analysis. While global indicators are used to position Romance and Germanic languages within the broader digital hierarchy, the analytical focus centres primarily on the European linguistic context. Therefore, the distinction between global and Europe-specific datasets is explicitly maintained throughout the study to ensure scope consistency and interpretive clarity. The review covers publications from 2018 to 2025 and draws on databases including Scopus, Web of Science, LLBA, and ERIC. It incorporates transparent inclusion and exclusion criteria, multi-stage screening, and a coding protocol grounded in linguistic, sociocultural, and technological indicators. Statistical data were retrieved from UNESCO UIS, W3Techs, Eurostat, and Ethnologue, with validation conducted in January–February 2025. The results show that while English maintains disproportionate dominance in digital spaces, Romance and Germanic languages demonstrate strong adaptive capacity through structural stability, hybridisation practices, and expanding digital resources. The synthesis highlights enduring grammatical resilience, uneven digital representation, and the importance of multilingual educational ecosystems. These findings indicate that sustainable linguistic development depends on inclusive digital infrastructures and equitable technological support that preserve linguistic diversity while enabling global participation.

Objective: This study examines how digital literacy and Indonesian language proficiency shape university students’ patterns of social media use. Digital literacy is conceptualized not merely as technical ability, but as a reflective and ethical capacity to access, evaluate, and produce information responsibly. Indonesian language proficiency is similarly positioned as a key indicator of students’ logical reasoning, clarity of expression, and politeness in digital communication. Using a mixed-methods approach with 75 Communication Science students, this study collected quantitative data through Likert-scale questionnaires measuring digital literacy, language proficiency, and ethical awareness, while qualitative insights were obtained from open-ended responses describing students’ verification practices, communicative strategies, and perceptions of responsible online behavior. The results show that 84% of students routinely verify information sources before sharing, 78% maintain polite and audience-appropriate language when interacting online, and 92% express pride in using proper Indonesian in digital spaces. These findings indicate that higher digital literacy is associated with stronger discernment, self-regulation, and ethical awareness in social media use, while greater Indonesian language proficiency supports clarity, civility, and context-sensitive communication. The integration of these competencies fosters responsible and reflective participation in online environments. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating how language proficiency complements digital literacy in fostering responsible digital behavior and strengthening students' communicative ethics. Importantly, these insights have practical implications for curriculum development and character education in higher education, by promoting an integrated approach that combines digital literacy and language ethics to prepare students for responsible digital citizenship.

Mobile-based games have become an integral part of elementary school children’s daily lives in Indonesia, offering informal digital environments where learning and social interaction occur simultaneously. While mobile games are often viewed primarily as entertainment, they also embed numerical practices and social dynamics that may support both numeracy development and character education. However, limited research has examined how these experiences relate simultaneously to numeracy and Pancasila values as Indonesia’s cultural foundation. This study explores how elementary school children engage in numeracy activities through mobile gaming and how these practices intertwine with Pancasila values. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, the study involved students in grades III–V from four regions in Indonesia: Pacitan, Klaten, Yogyakarta, and Banten. The findings reveal that numeracy in mobile games extends beyond basic counting to include resource management, collaboration, and shared decision-making. At the same time, Pancasila values such as cooperation (gotong royong), justice, empathy, and responsibility emerged organically through gameplay interactions. The study concludes that mobile games function as culturally grounded digital learning spaces that support contextual numeracy and character development, offering meaningful implications for values-based learning in elementary education.

Abstract Cryptocurrencies have regained mainstream attention, with Bitcoinx′s recent rally renewing investor interest across the digital asset space. This study focuses on the connectedness and spillover effects among seven major digital assets to examine the asymmetric relationships conditional on market conditions and time horizons. To emphasize the significance of short- and long-term trading dynamics, we explore the state dependence of linkages during extreme upward and downward market movements. Our findings suggest a significant connectedness induced by Litecoin and Ethereum. Short-term fluctuations are the dominant drivers of crypto-market vulnerability across quantiles and frequencies. Pronounced upper-quantile connectedness emerges consistently across all markets. Interestingly, major currencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Dash, act as receivers during upside and median market conditions, whereas Ethereum and Litecoin exhibit transmission effects. Moreover, no connectedness is detected between Ethereum and Bitcoin at extreme quantiles. The findings highlight the need for careful monitoring and risk assessment of extreme events, demanding careful risk monitoring during periods of turmoil.

The modern far-right, including its vast digital communities, draws from an overlapping yet diverse array of subcultures, sectarian ideologies, and political tendencies. Included among these traditions are accelerationist neo-Nazis who aim to capitalize on social and political divisiveness, economic precarity, and other frictions to foster widespread conflict, socio-political collapse, armed civil conflict, and revolutionary change—often embracing National Socialism and other intersecting fascist frameworks. Fascist accelerationists have rapidly metastasized into global cell-based networks and have been central in establishing a distinct visual aesthetic and linguistic markers. While their rhetoric is broad—ranging from calls for violence and sarcastic mockery of liberalism to disgust with efforts to empower marginalized communities—this article focuses on their use of restorative rhetoric, especially as offered online. Though this community exhibits several unique rhetorical and aesthetic features, one cannot help but notice the frequency of images reflecting the American 1950s. In this study, we ask: What visual aesthetics do accelerationist fascists employ in digital spaces to uphold normative ideals and why? This pursuit is situated within Visual, Discourse, and Content Analysis through the lens of visual culture. In our analysis of 115 unique images displaying representations of the “faux 50s,” two key themes emerged: (1) opposition to progressive politics and (2) emphasis on the preservation of the white nuclear family. We argue that restorative rhetoric employed by this group promotes a return to a prior social order while simultaneously accepting that state as ideal, devoid of contradiction and critique. Ultimately, this approach aims to isolate, identify, and interpret the values, reference points, and ideological positions constructed by the author and communicated in their images. We begin from the presumption that visual culture—specifically that of fascist communities on Telegram—relates to the social processes of inclusion and exclusion that sustain subtle yet dangerous inequalities.

Abstract The open-ended project-in-development called Eurotales: A Museum of the Voices of Europe is an experimental online museum that is based on the underlying question of “how can one present and communicate, in museological form, the intangible culture of languages as they are and have been used across Europe?” Its response is to turn to digital technology to explore and create displays that foreground language uses as culture, as identity, and as memory. The aim is to show and explore the actual multiplexity of languages in real life, and through time and space, and to contrast this implicitly with canonical and standardizing accounts presented in histories of named languages, which are also digitally displayed. This article opens with a discussion of museums and digital collections of intangible culture and goes on to describe the thinking and design underlying the four digital collections of Eurotales. The methods of data collection for each of these are separately mentioned in their subsequent descriptions. The collections present the material traces of language as intangible culture, the lived experiences and memories of languages of individuals in the present and in the past (separately), and societies’ authorized, or canonical, memories of named languages as presented in their published histories. Eurotales is thence presented as a project that uses the superordinating and intangible nature of digital space to address and explore the equally superordinating and intangible natures of language, culture, memory, and identity.

Social media has become an integral part of political life in India, shaping public discourse, political mobilization, and democratic participation. However, with this growing influence, the Indian state has implemented various regulations aimed at controlling online content, protecting national security, and managing misinformation. This paper explores the complex relationship between state regulation, surveillance, and censorship in India’s political landscape, with a focus on how these regulations impact democracy. By examining key laws such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023), the Intermediary Guidelines (2021), and the Information Technology Act (2000), the paper highlights the delicate balance between ensuring security and protecting the fundamental democratic rights of freedom of speech and privacy. It looks at how state interventions in social media, from content moderation to surveillance, have influenced political expression and public engagement. The study considers how these regulations shape political debates, particularly in an era of identity politics, where marginalized communities use social media to voice concerns and organize. While social media provides a platform for democratic participation, it also raises questions about state control over political narratives and the public sphere. This paper argues for a critical reflection on how India can protect its democratic values while navigating the challenges of regulating a digital space that is constantly evolving. Ultimately, it calls for a reassessment of how social media regulations can be crafted to protect both national interests and democratic principles in a digital age.

This study aims to understand the implementation of digital wellness in social media usage as a preventive measure against online harassment among Generation Z. The research employs a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method to explore the in-depth experiences of five informants—active university students and social media users who have encountered online harassment. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using the Colaizzi method to identify key themes. The results reveal five significant findings: social media usage patterns among Generation Z, their experiences with online harassment, the meaning of digital symbols in online interactions, the digital wellness strategies implemented, and how digital wellness is understood as a form of harassment prevention. These findings indicate that the experience of online harassment triggers awareness and preventive actions through digital wellness practices, including strategies such as digital detox, account selection, privacy settings, and the removal of specific applications. Theoretically, this study contributes to enriching the study of symbolic interactionism by linking the meaning of digital symbols to experiences of online harassment. Practically, it provides an overview of digital wellness strategies that Generation Z can implement to maintain a balance in social media use and prevent the recurrence of online harassment in the digital space.

This article responds to the set of commentaries published in Dialogues in Urban Research following our original contribution on ‘Urban Neighbourhoods and far-right spatial strategies: Displacement, infrastructure and civic life’. These responses not only engage productively with the empirical and conceptual dimensions of the paper, but also open up broader questions concerning normalization, digital spaces, class composition and the role of everyday institutions in enabling or constraining far-right advance. Taking these interventions as a point of departure, this response re-centres the discussion on the question of ‘what is to be done’. Against approaches that confine antifascism to moments of confrontation or subcultural politics, we propose a broader conception of antifascist praxis as a transversal political culture embedded in struggles over housing, belonging, care and everyday coexistence. By foregrounding place-based, quotidian forms of contestation, this response seeks to move beyond descriptive analyses of far-right strategies and contribute to an urban research agenda oriented towards effective antifascist political intervention.

The arts play a critical role in shaping public opinion and policy discourse around mental health. This study examined global public interest in mental health topics within the Arts & Entertainment (A&E) category of Google searches, focusing on temporal trends, inter-topic associations, and country-level clustering. Using a descriptive infodemiological design, monthly Relative Search Volumes (RSVs) for seven topics (2004-2025) were analyzed with time-series decomposition, ARIMA forecasting, correlation networks, and Latent Profile Analysis. Results showed generally stable A&E search trends with COVID-19 spikes; searches for ADHD and anxiety increased, while schizophrenia declined. Significant seasonalities were found for ADHD, BD, MDD, schizophrenia, and mental health. Two A&E topic clusters emerged-(1) everyday mental health and (2) crisis-related concerns-with negative inter-cluster correlations. Country-level analyses revealed two A&E search clusters. A&E-focused infodemiology provides novel insights into cultural, temporal, and geographic patterns of arts-related mental health public interest and information seeking in the digital space.