CHANGE OF ATTITUDE TO LANGUAGE NORMS IN VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION AND ITS CAUSES

Abstract

Recently, the sphere of use of the language has expanded: the language of Internet communication, which has not yet received an unambiguous definition as a linguistic phenomenon, is actively developing. Linguists debate whether virtual communication can be considered a separate linguistic variety, sociolect or linguistic style. Communication through messengers, social networks, chats, forums not only simplified people’s lives, but also caused significant changes in the functioning of the language. The language used in virtual communication has extremely peculiar features. The main characteristics of this language are violations of generally accepted linguistic norms, especially spelling rules and lexical norms. Linguists explore the peculiarities of the language of Internet communication and attempt to determine the psychological and linguistic causes of radical changes that have occurred at its various levels. From the point of view of psychology, non-compliance with norms in the language of the Internet arises from the informal atmosphere of Internet communication. The speech behavior of network users can also be influenced by the fact that during virtual communication they have the illusion of anonymity, confidentiality. The Internet is becoming a place where a speaker can protest against normalization. A language game can be an important cause of violation of language norms as well. It can extend not only to spelling, but also to lexical, grammatical, word-forming, lexical levels of speech. Speakers often form non-standard forms for the purpose of self-expression in order to demonstrate creativity, stand out, attract attention with the help of comical or inappropriate posts. Since direct contact is impossible, communicators form non-standard word forms and break the rules to convey emotions. The most likely reason for the careless attitude to language norms is that informal Internet communication is a written form of the colloquial style and therefore acquires all the features corresponding to this style: the appearance of errors, the use of slang, surzhik, deviant or limited vocabulary.