Linguocultural features of linguistic personality in the virtual world: semiotic and content analysis

Abstract

This article examines the specific features of linguistic personality formation in the context of virtual communication, where processes of self-presentation and identification are mediated by the complex interaction of verbal and visual-semiotic resources. The relevance of the study is determined by the transformation of communicative practices in the digital age, in which social networks function not only as channels of information exchange but also as key spaces for the construction of cultural and social identity. The focus of the analysis is the virtual linguistic personality as a multidimensional phenomenon manifested through the use of emojis, memes, hashtags, visual images, elements of multimodality, as well as lexico-semantic and stylistic markers that reflect users’ value orientations and communicative strategies. The methodological framework of the study is based on the integration of semiotic, linguocultural, and content analysis, which makes it possible to examine digital self-presentation as a unified configuration of linguistic, cultural, and sign-based parameters. The empirical material consists of a corpus of 100 posts selected from public accounts on the social networking platform Instagram according to criteria of explicit self-representation, thematic diversity, and saturation with visual-semiotic elements. The analysis demonstrates that visual components of digital discourse are not limited to an auxiliary role but function as independent carriers of identity-related meanings, participating in the construction of the self-image, the expression of emotional states, and the marking of cultural affiliation. The study establishes that the interpretation of identical semiotic signs varies significantly depending on the linguocultural context, which confirms the culturally conditioned nature of digital communication and highlights the importance of cultural competence in intercultural online interaction. Virtual linguistic personality is conceptualized in the article as a dynamic construct formed at the intersection of linguistic practices, visual-semiotic codes, and sociocultural norms, and subject to continuous transformation within a globalized digital environment. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying digital identity formation and may be applied in research on digital discourse, in the teaching of intercultural communication, as well as in the development of educational programs in media communication and digital literacy.