Communicative functions of emoji sequences in the context of self-presentation: A comparative study of Weibo and Twitter users

Abstract

Focusing on Weibo (a Chinese Microblogging site) and Twitter, this study adopts computer-mediated discourse analysis to examine how influencers use emoji sequences when engaging in self-presentation. It identified a variety of text-based speech acts, emoji functions, and functional relations by conducting speech act and pragmatic function analysis. ‘Claim’ is the most common text-based speech act accompanying with emoji sequences in both data groups; however, the former had a higher percentage than the later. Moreover, emoji functioning as a combination of ‘stance and action’ in sequences comprise the most prominent category in the Twitter data, whereas the ‘concept’ function accounts for the largest percentage within the Weibo data. Finally, emoji sequences serving as ‘emphasis on text’ is most employed in connection with accompanying texts in both data. This study also observed how a lack of user-desired emoji may be compensated for through collocation of emoji sequences, a device which involves significant creativity and intricacy.