The deviating meaning of emoji in gen z's twitter discourse: a case study of social semiotics

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Saputro, Enggal Ridho (2023) The deviating meaning of emoji in gen z's twitter discourse: a case study of social semiotics. Undergraduate thesis, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

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Abstract

This study examines the deviating meaning of emoji in Gen Z's Twitter discourse, focusing on NCT Dream Center and 9GAG memeland as case studies. The research explores the forms and factors of deviating meaning in emoji, particularly in the context of the launching announcement of NCT Dream and TosTos snack collaborations in NCT Dream Center and a meme featuring two dogs with contrasting expressions in 9GAG memeland. The study adopts a qualitative research approach, utilizing data from these two online platforms. The data analysis involves observation, a close-ended questionnaire, and interviews. The researcher classified the data according to whether the users were Gen Z. The analysis is conducted within the theory of Halliday's (1978) context of situations in social semiotics, including field, tenor, and mode of text. Also, the study draws on Barthes' (1981) concepts of intertextuality, subversive uses, layered meanings, and contextual shifting to identify and analyze the forms of deviate meaning in emoji. The key findings of the research reveal various forms of deviate meaning, such as intertextual references, subversive uses, layered meanings, and contextual shifting, as well as factors influencing these deviations, including substitution, irony or sarcasm, memes and references, and current trends. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how Gen Z employs emoji in online discourse. The interpretation of the results underscores the significance of intertextuality, subversive uses, layered meanings, and contextual shifting in comprehending the deviating meaning of emoji. The implications of the study extend to the fields of linguistics, communication studies, and digital culture. Overall, this research explored the dynamic nature of emoji usage among Gen Z on Twitter and highlighted the importance of considering cultural and contextual factors when analyzing the meaning behind these symbols.