Internet communication as a medium for digital folklore

The article explains the concept of "digital folklore" as compared to traditional folk culture. Particular attention is drawn to the constitutive features of the digital folklore, both general and specific. Internet communication endows digital folklore with peculiar features, which lead to serious changes in traditional folk culture. The focus is made on its communicative function, conditioned by special aspects of the internet medium. The internet forms a special communicative environment that gives rise to innovative cultural and linguistic phenomena. It reflects users' thoughts and ideas, expressed in the form of a text, synthesized with graphics, sound, and animation. The new communication medium contributes to the implementation of various language tools and stimulates users' creativity. Language becomes a tool for their creative personal expression. The new communication channel brings new forms of expression and new communication models.