Speech Acts Within Facebook Status Messages

Abstract

This research examines the use of speech acts in computer-mediated communication, specifically in the status messages of the social network site Facebook, to communicate in both a mass and an interpersonal medium. A total of 204 status messages created by 46 participants were captured 3 times daily over 14 consecutive days. Content analysis of these data revealed that status messages were most frequently constructed with expressive speech acts, followed by assertives. Additionally, humor was integrated into almost 20% of these status messages. These findings demonstrate differences in how users express themselves in alternate media. Findings address implications for self-presentation in social networks and theoretical implications for computer-mediated communication research.