Language Reflection: Digital Etiquette

Abstract

The author argues that modern digital etiquette is in the process of formation and constantly evolving. Old norms of business correspondence do not always align with the current conditions and users’ views on effective and ethical communication. Researchers are faced with the question of what can serve as a source of information on emerging ethical and linguistic norms. The purpose of the article is to prove that the analysis of language reflection can be an effective way to study the norms of modern digital etiquette. The study conducted in the fall of 2022 used the method of analyzing the corpus of language reflection. The dataset obtained through a two-stage survey includes an assessment by 3464 Internet users of 92 formulas and expressions used in digital correspondence. The article analyzes the state of modern digital etiquette, substantiates the need for the analysis of language reflection to study ethical and speech norms, describes the methodology of studying language reflection through surveys, and con cludes on the necessity of analyzing language reflection to capture trends in digital etiquette. The novelty of the article is determined by at least two factors. Firstly, it addresses the topic of unexplored and unstable norms of digital etiquette. Secondly, it highlights the need to analyze language reflection on the rules of speech behavior on the web. The significance of the study is related to the fact that digital etiquette norms are constantly changing, and researchers need a tool to capture such changes. The practical value of the study is that it enables certain recommendations on email etiquette and warns against potential communicative failures in internet communication.