A functional classification of aggressive digital replies to Pedro Sánchez' posts on X

Abstract

This paper presents a classification proposal based on the analysis of actual, naturally occurring aggressive language on X (formerly Twitter), while considering the different kinds of affect in Appraisal theory and the function of images in digital discourse. Within this frame, the aims of the analysis carried out for this study were first, to categorise the use of aggressive language in the replies to the Spanish prime minister's posts on the social media platform X with a view to unveiling any patterns and differences in the language used, and second, to classify the visual elements used to express aggression in the same context. To this end, a corpus consisting of replies to fifteen posts by Pedro Sánchez was compiled for analysis. The results and conclusions obtained from examining the patterns identified in the use of an aggressive stance on X were then used to develop a multimodal classification of aggressive language in an effort to understand how aggressive interactions are constructed and implemented on social media.