Interpersonal Strategies in the Language of Instagram Users: A Functional Systemic Linguistic Study

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the interpersonal functions in the language used by social media users, especially Instagram. In digital communication, language not only functions as a means of conveying information, but also as a means of building social relations, expressing attitudes, and influencing audiences. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach based on M.A.K. Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory, which focuses on three main elements of interpersonal function: mood, modality, and appraisal. Data were drawn from captions and comments on purposively selected public Instagram accounts. The results show that Instagram users actively use declarative, interrogative, and imperative sentences to create interpersonal interactions. In addition, the use of modality expressing possibility, necessity, and desire, as well as the expression of attitude and judgment through appraisal strategies were found. The language used tends to be informal, expressive, and creative, reflecting social closeness as well as being a tool in building digital communities. These findings suggest that the interpersonal function of language is instrumental in shaping relationships and engagement between users on social media.