Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the
Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World

C 2025

Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World

HAMPLOVÁ, Barbora

Basic information

Original name

Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World

Authors

HAMPLOVÁ, Barbora

Edition

1. vyd. Opava, Contemporary Approaches to Text Analysis / Moderne Herangehensweisen an die Textanalyse, p. 77-94, 18 pp. 2025

Publisher

Slezská univerzita v Opavě

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Chapter(s) of a specialized book

Field of Study

60200 6.2 Languages and Literature

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

Publication form

printed version "print"

Marked to be transferred to RIV

Yes

Organization unit

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava

ISBN

978-80-7510-619-3

Keywords in English

Hashtags; text analysis; acronyms; initialisms; digital discourse; identity performance; pragmatic leakage; indexicality; intergenerational communication

Abstract

In the original language

This study examines the morphological, syntactic, and pragmalinguistic functions of hashtags, acronyms, and initialisms in the seventh series of Netflix’s The Circle. Drawing on transcribed episodes, it explores how contestants, authentic and ‘catfish’ personas, deploy these forms to construct or disrupt projected identities in a computer-mediated environment. Morphologically, concatenation was most frequent (e.g., #YesImThatBitch; #BlessedAndGrateful), reflecting platform limits and rhetorical memorability. Syntactically, integrated hashtags outnumbered parenthetical ones, showing their contribution to propositional meaning rather than serving as evaluative asides. Acronyms and initialisms (e.g., IYKYK; NPC; HBIC) acted as socially indexical markers, signaling stance, in-group identity, and authenticity cues. Pragmatically, mismatches between repertoire and persona led to pragmatic leakage (Androutsopoulos 2014), exposing underlying identities and threatening front-stage performance (Goffman 1959). The findings highlight the interplay of morphological creativity, syntax, and pragmatics in shaping identity performance and the importance of mastering emerging slang to navigate shifting linguistic landscapes and generational discourse norms in digitally mediated communication.

Cite

HAMPLOVÁ, Barbora. Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World. In NOGOLOVÁ, Veronika a Miroslav URBANEC (eds.). Contemporary Approaches to Text Analysis / Moderne Herangehensweisen an die Textanalyse. 1. vyd. Opava: Slezská univerzita v Opavě, 2025, p. 77-94. ISBN 978-80-7510-619-3.

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   author = {Hamplová, Barbora},
   address = {Opava},
   booktitle = {Contemporary Approaches to Text Analysis / Moderne Herangehensweisen an die Textanalyse},
   edition = {1. vyd.},
   editor = {NOGOLOVÁ, Veronika a Miroslav URBANEC (eds.)},
   keywords = {Hashtags; text analysis; acronyms; initialisms; digital discourse; identity performance; pragmatic leakage; indexicality; intergenerational communication},
   howpublished = {tištěná verze "print"},
   language = {eng},
   location = {Opava},
   isbn = {978-80-7510-619-3},
   pages = {77-94},
   publisher = {Slezská univerzita v Opavě},
   title = {Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World},
   year = {2025}
}

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N2  - This study examines the morphological, syntactic, and pragmalinguistic functions of hashtags, acronyms, and initialisms in the seventh series of Netflix’s The Circle. Drawing on transcribed episodes, it explores how contestants, authentic and ‘catfish’ personas, deploy these forms to construct or disrupt projected identities in a computer-mediated environment. Morphologically, concatenation was most frequent (e.g., #YesImThatBitch; #BlessedAndGrateful), reflecting platform limits and rhetorical memorability. Syntactically, integrated hashtags outnumbered parenthetical ones, showing their contribution to propositional meaning rather than serving as evaluative asides. Acronyms and initialisms (e.g., IYKYK; NPC; HBIC) acted as socially indexical markers, signaling stance, in-group identity, and authenticity cues. Pragmatically, mismatches between repertoire and persona led to pragmatic leakage (Androutsopoulos 2014), exposing underlying identities and threatening front-stage performance (Goffman 1959). The findings highlight the interplay of morphological creativity, syntax, and pragmatics in shaping identity performance and the importance of mastering emerging slang to navigate shifting linguistic landscapes and generational discourse norms in digitally mediated communication.
ER  -

HAMPLOVÁ, Barbora. Abbreviations and Hashtags in The Circle: Expressing the Identity of a (Catfish) Self in the Digital World. In NOGOLOVÁ, Veronika a Miroslav URBANEC (eds.). \textit{Contemporary Approaches to Text Analysis / Moderne Herangehensweisen an die Textanalyse}. 1. vyd. Opava: Slezská univerzita v Opavě, 2025, p.~77-94. ISBN~978-80-7510-619-3.

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