An Assessment of Digital Pragmatic Strategies in Nigerian Social Media: A Case Study of Twitter and Instagram

An Assessment of Digital Pragmatic Strategies in Nigerian Social Media: A Case Study of Twitter and Instagram

Background of the study
Pragmatic strategies are essential in managing conversational tone, context, and interpersonal relationships in digital communication. In Nigeria, Twitter and Instagram serve as prominent platforms where users employ distinct pragmatic markers to convey meaning efficiently. Twitter’s succinct format fosters the use of hashtags, abbreviations, and emoticons to express attitude and urgency, while Instagram integrates visual elements with text, encouraging a blend of casual language and contextual cues (Ibrahim, 2023). This study examines the pragmatic strategies adopted by Nigerian users on Twitter and Instagram, focusing on how these strategies facilitate clear communication and cultural expression. It investigates the role of digital affordances and audience expectations in shaping pragmatic choices, aiming to document how online contexts influence speech acts, politeness strategies, and the negotiation of social relationships (Okafor, 2024). The findings will contribute to digital pragmatics by providing a nuanced understanding of how different platforms shape communicative behavior in Nigeria.

Statement of the problem
Although pragmatic strategies play a critical role in online communication, there is limited comparative research on their use across platforms such as Twitter and Instagram in Nigeria. Existing studies often overlook the contextual variations that drive different pragmatic behaviors, resulting in a generalized view of digital language use. This gap hinders the development of targeted models for effective communication in diverse online environments (Chukwu, 2023).

Objectives of the study
• Analyze pragmatic markers in Nigerian Twitter and Instagram content.
• Compare the influence of platform context on pragmatic strategy deployment.
• Assess the impact of these strategies on overall communication effectiveness.

Research questions
• What pragmatic markers are commonly used on Twitter versus Instagram?
• How do platform-specific features influence these markers?
• What are the effects on communication clarity and effectiveness?

Significance of the study
This study is significant as it deepens our understanding of digital pragmatics by comparing two major platforms. Its insights will aid educators and communication professionals in tailoring language use to specific digital contexts, thereby enhancing interaction quality in Nigerian social media (Ibrahim, 2023).

Scope and limitations of the study
Limited to Twitter and Instagram interactions among Nigerian users; other platforms and offline communication are excluded.

Definitions of terms
• Pragmatic Strategies: Techniques used to convey context and manage conversation.
• Digital Pragmatics: Study of language use in online environments.
• Communication Effectiveness: The degree to which a message is successfully conveyed and understood.

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