Current research on Cyberpragmatics

Cyberpragmatics has become an important area in contemporary linguistic studies because digital communication has transformed the ways people negotiate meaning, politeness, and social relationships in online interaction. The rise of social media, online gaming, WhatsApp communication, and AI-mediated interaction has created new forms of language behavior that differ from traditional face-to-face communication. Graham and Hardaker (2017) explain that mediated communication changes interactional dynamics because users communicate through asynchronous, anonymous, and multimodal environments that often weaken conventional social constraints. As a result, politeness and impoliteness are continuously renegotiated in digital spaces where users rely not only on words but also on emojis, stickers, memes, and visual symbols to convey interpersonal meaning.

The issue of impoliteness in online communication has become one of the most debated topics in cyberpragmatics. Culpeper and colleagues (2025) argue that impoliteness online is often reciprocal because hostile comments tend to provoke equally hostile responses. This phenomenon is known as “impoliteness reciprocity,” where digital interactions escalate into verbal conflicts through sarcasm, mock politeness, insults, and emotional retaliation. Unlike face-to-face communication, online environments allow users to express aggression more openly because physical presence and immediate social consequences are absent. Consequently, cyberpragmatics researchers increasingly investigate how online discourse contributes to hate speech, cyberbullying, cancel culture, and toxic communication practices.

Another important discussion concerns politeness strategies in educational communication. Risdianto et al. (2023) found that students frequently employ politeness strategies when communicating with lecturers through WhatsApp and email. The study revealed that students often use greetings, apologies, gratitude expressions, and religious expressions to maintain respectful academic relationships. However, some students unintentionally produce impolite utterances because they lack awareness of digital pragmatic norms. This finding demonstrates that online communication requires specific pragmatic competence because written digital interaction does not always convey tone, emotion, or intention clearly. Therefore, cyberpragmatic competence has become increasingly essential in academic communication.

Research on Korean social networking services further demonstrates that politeness norms vary across cultures and digital platforms. Rhee (2023) explains that the concept of “face” in Asian digital culture has evolved due to online interaction and anonymous identities. Traditional politeness theories proposed by Brown and Levinson are often challenged because social media communication is more dynamic, public, and multimodal. Users may intentionally combine politeness and impoliteness strategies to create humor, irony, or social dominance. This shift has encouraged scholars to move from traditional pragmatics toward digital pragmatics and post-politeness theories that better explain interaction in online communities.

Political communication on social media also provides important insights into impoliteness practices. Groshek and Cutino (2016) found that mobile communication platforms such as Twitter intensify hostile interaction because features like mentions, retweets, and rapid responses facilitate discourse escalation. Political discussions online often become emotionally charged and polarized because users can instantly react to controversial issues. Scholars continue debating whether impoliteness is primarily caused by users themselves or by digital platform algorithms that encourage engagement through controversial content. This debate is highly relevant in contemporary discussions about online democracy, political polarization, and algorithmic communication.

The expansion of online gaming communities has introduced new forms of cyberpragmatic interaction. Research by Nensilanti et al. (2025) demonstrates that impoliteness in online game chats is not merely emotional aggression but also a strategic tool for establishing dominance, provoking opponents, and strengthening group solidarity. In competitive gaming environments, toxic speech may function as humor, identity construction, or social bonding among players. Consequently, scholars debate whether impoliteness should always be interpreted negatively or whether it can sometimes serve positive social functions within specific communities. This issue has become particularly important in discourse studies and digital masculinity research.

Relational Theory (Arundale, 2010) dan Rapport Management Theory (Spencer-Oatey, 2008)

Relational Theory yang dikembangkan oleh Arundale menempatkan hubungan interpersonal sebagai pusat dari proses komunikasi. Berbeda dari pendekatan tradisional yang melihat komunikasi hanya sebagai pertukaran pesan antarindividu, teori ini menekankan bahwa identitas, makna, dan hubungan sosial dibangun secara ko-konstitutif melalui interaksi. Dalam pandangan ini, setiap ujaran bukan hanya menyampaikan informasi, tetapi juga membentuk kedekatan, jarak, solidaritas, maupun perbedaan status antara partisipan komunikasi (Arundale, 2010). Oleh karena itu, komunikasi dipahami sebagai proses dinamis yang terus membentuk dan dibentuk oleh relasi sosial.

Salah satu konsep utama dalam Relational Theory adalah dialektika antara connectedness dan separateness. Connectedness merujuk pada upaya individu membangun kedekatan, afiliasi, dan rasa kebersamaan dengan orang lain, sedangkan separateness menunjukkan kebutuhan untuk mempertahankan otonomi, identitas pribadi, dan batas individual. Kedua dimensi ini selalu hadir secara simultan dalam interaksi sehari-hari, sehingga komunikasi menjadi arena negosiasi antara kebutuhan untuk dekat dan kebutuhan untuk mandiri (Arundale, 2010). Dengan demikian, hubungan sosial tidak pernah statis, melainkan selalu dinegosiasikan dari waktu ke waktu.

Dalam konteks pendidikan, Relational Theory sangat relevan untuk memahami dinamika komunikasi di kelas. Interaksi antara guru dan siswa tidak hanya berfungsi menyampaikan materi, tetapi juga membangun iklim relasional yang dapat memengaruhi motivasi, partisipasi, dan kepercayaan diri siswa. Misalnya, guru yang memberikan respons empatik dan menghargai kontribusi siswa cenderung memperkuat connectedness, sementara sikap terlalu otoriter dapat memperbesar separateness dan jarak psikologis antara guru dan siswa (Arundale, 2010). Oleh sebab itu, kualitas relasi di kelas menjadi faktor penting dalam keberhasilan pembelajaran.

Sementara itu, Rapport Management Theory yang dikembangkan oleh Spencer-Oatey berfokus pada bagaimana individu mengelola keharmonisan hubungan sosial dalam interaksi. Teori ini memperluas konsep kesantunan (politeness) dengan menekankan tiga komponen utama, yaitu face sensitivities, sociality rights and obligations, dan interactional goals. Face sensitivities berkaitan dengan kebutuhan seseorang untuk dihargai dan diakui, sociality rights merujuk pada harapan tentang perlakuan yang adil dan pantas, sedangkan interactional goals menyangkut tujuan yang ingin dicapai dalam komunikasi (Spencer-Oatey, 2008).