Abstract
Facebook is a platform that has significantly
developed in Indonesia. Now it becomes a fast growing medium of communication for the
purpose of social interaction at an informal level, and has already become a
medium that is a large part of the lives of many people in Indonesia,
especially in SSE. Moreover, Facebook as an online medium of communication has
a significant sociolinguistic variable which is gender. Therefore, this paper
tries to find out the use of language by the students of SSE in Facebook
communication. Twenty five students both male and female along with fifty
‘posts’ were observed. The finding showed that fifty posts might classify into
six tables which are the loving, hating, ridiculing, encouraging, groaning and
confirming. The six tables demonstrate a clear
difference in the language used by males and females which underlying
expression of aggressiveness versus supportiveness and directive versus
negotiable. Then, it leads to a conclusion that language styles in online
communication are different because they reflect the different goals of the
users.
Language and Gender
Language, culture and
society interact to give different levels of power and recognition in society.
The different way boys and girls are socialized has significant results on the
way they communicate as adults because this social behavior is carried on into
adulthood. In other words, it is consistently reflected in the different social
and communicative styles of women and men.
According to Tannen (1995, p. 138), communication isn't as simple
as saying what you mean. How you say what you mean is crucial, and differs from
one person to the next, because using language is a learned behavior. How we
talk and listen is deeply influenced by cultural expectations. Women and men
are like people who have grown up in two subcultures - they have two broad
different styles of speaking and establishing social status.
Herring (2000) argued that the main distinction between the way
boys and girls communicate is that girls generally use the language to
negotiate closeness to establish intimacy as a basis of friendship or called
collaboration-oriented and in comparison, boys generally use language to
negotiate their status in the group or called competition-oriented.
The theme of using power to negotiate status by males and cooperation
to establish relationship by females is consistently played out throughout
adulthood and repeated in the social and linguistic communication at all
levels: at home, work, meetings, social occasions, and in personal, casual and
formal contacts. Consequently female and male tend to have different habitual
ways of saying what they mean.
Facebook
Facebook is a new mode of social networking that has come as the most popular social networking site in the past few years, especially in the Indonesian context. It thus has developed into a significant platform on which social interaction takes place on the World Wide Web among teenagers. Therefore, it may become a prospective resource for sociolinguistic field since it demonstrates the language that used by male and female which can be analyzed.
Facebook is a new mode of social networking that has come as the most popular social networking site in the past few years, especially in the Indonesian context. It thus has developed into a significant platform on which social interaction takes place on the World Wide Web among teenagers. Therefore, it may become a prospective resource for sociolinguistic field since it demonstrates the language that used by male and female which can be analyzed.
Since its creation, Facebook has resulted in a
unique new form of language. Facebook is arguably more interesting and
innovative than any other Internet-based language communication medium. Online
mediums, with numerous features, tend to change language in interesting ways.
Furthermore, Facebook is a fast growing medium of communication for the purpose
of social interaction at an informal level, and has already become a medium
that is a large part of the lives of many teenagers in Indonesia.
This social networking medium works based on the
concept of “walls” which is owned by every member of the Facebook community. On
the walls, status messages, which refer to messages on many subjects, are
posted. This is the text of which the text will be collected from.
This social networking
platform can be in overall be considered to be a new mode of communication on
the Internet, where users often direct their status messages to either a
particular recipient, or to every other user (“friend” who has permission to
view his/her wall, or as a mode of self-expression). This function of posting
“status messages” is the main focus of this research. It should be noted that
other functions which Facebook provides, such as private messages and chats,
will not be discussed in the scope of this research study.
This research aims to analyze
the use of language on Facebook by SSE students, considering the variable of
gender. This research will measure on the gender differences on language used
in Facebook communication.
Methodology
Participants
The participants of the research are fifty
SSE students with various ages among 18 – 21 years old. They were chosen
randomly from 189 students in SSE. Seventy five percent of them are active
users in Facebook who are updating minimum seven status messages each day. Then
twenty percent are average users who are updating minimum two status messages
each day. While the rest five percent are passive users in Facebook who are
updating three until five status messages each week.
Instrument
The instrument used in the research is
Facebook posts. The posts were taken randomly from three features of Facebook.
First is ‘news feeds’, the homepage of Facebook where all the new status
updates and user activities from everyone were posted. Second is‘wall’ where
all the status message and user activities of one user were posted. Then the
last is ‘comments’, a quick reply for status messages.
Procedure
Firstly, fifty posts from fifty SSE
students’ Facebook account are copied and observed. Then, the fifty posts will
be analyzed and classified into some classification which will lead to the
further indication of the gender differences in Facebook communication.
Result
The fifty posts that have been copied
from fifty SSE students’ Facebook account are classified into six
classifications which are loving, hating, encouraging, ridiculing, confirming
and groaning. The six classifications
were represented in the tables below.
Loving
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Dah lama otak dan hati
ini menggu saat saat seperti sekarang, tapi kenapa sekarang??? OMG... (AP,
19)
|
Sangat membutuhkan
kunci.
Bukan kunci untuk
membuka lemari,
Namun kunci untuk
membuka hati.
:) (IS, 20)
|
Gak nahaaan liat dia
senyum!! (RF, 21)
|
Seneng lho punya
banyak temen, terlebih lagi punya temen kayak..... kamu :) (AA, 20)
|
Hating
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Kebodohan gue yang
paling besar adalah gue terlalu perduli sama org lain, even tuh org ga
perduli sama dirinya sendiri!! *kuota sabar habis (AI, 21)
|
bohong terus, g ush
ngomong aja ke aq sampe bsa ngomong yang jujur. (AS, 20)
|
Lu manfaatin gue ya!
Ok! (RS, 19)
|
Tega…. (KH, 18)
|
Gw ENEK sm lu..!! F***
(RP, 19)
|
Tau gini mending gw
kerja sendiri deh.. (KT, 19)
|
gx suka tugas
KELOMPOK. (EZ, 20)
|
Beginikah cara kau
memperlakukan orang yang telah menyayangimu… (GF, 19)
|
tipe kya lu berdua mana
bisa fokus dlm 2 hal sekaligus? b*llsh*t abis itu mah.. (JS, 21)
|
Capek gw sebenrnya lu
giniin mulu.. (KL, 19)
|
Ridiculing
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
makanya klo ngebayangin jangan
yg gampang2..
jadi ga siap kan! #soktau haha (BF, 19) |
Makanya kalo punya
gigi jangan dipager hehe.. (NG, 19)
|
tugas men, jangan kya si MZ lu.. (JD, 21)
|
Susah sih kalo punya
kulit bersinar hahaha.. (KP, 21)
|
lagi heboh hasil
SNMPTN ya..?? bagi yang ketrima, selamat datang di dunia perkuliahan, dan
selamat menderita...!! #ketawa setan :D (RA, 19)
|
|
haha
lo belom pernah ngalamin pengalaman kya gini kan! (AH. M. 18) |
Encouraging
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
movie mam..semngt...!!!
hahah (FA, 19)
|
ayo.kapan mau syuting
dan menyeleseikan tugas kita,,,,,,,, (HT, 20)
|
Hampir beres Project
ITLM n TPTLM...ayo group Logarithms, kita tuntaskan projek ini!!! (DA, 18)
|
Ayo mulai bekerja
dengan data dari Shanza n Umar... hohohoho... (FW, 20)
|
SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT
SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT SANGAT
SETUUUJUUUUUU! :) (WP, 21)
|
Memang benar... sepertinya
akan menghadapi medan yang lebih terjal, licin, berbatu ... ah percaya saja
sama Yang Menciptakan Medan... (FK, 20)
|
GALIIIII, qta harus
rapat, gua g sabar mau ke tempat yang menonjol itu lagii ... (AO, 20)
|
semangat! hwaiting!
ujian calculus hari ini kita pst bisa! ^^ (SY, 20)
|
ayo...ayo semangat
Math 2010... ITLM and TPTLM Project,,, abisin!!!haha (DL, 18)
|
Dear Calculus, pagi
ini aku dan teman2 yang lain mau berkawan denganmu selamanya. Kita jadi teman
baik ya mulai hari ini dan selamnya. mencoba untuk saling mengerti kesusahan
shabat itu penting. Mari berkawan..... :D (ES, 20)
|
Hampir beres Project
ITLM n TPTLM...ayo group Logarithms, kita tuntaskan projek ini!!! (DK, 18)
|
Dear Calculus, pagi
ini aku dan teman2 yang lain mau berkawan denganmu selamanya. Kita jadi teman
baik ya mulai hari ini dan selamnya. mencoba untuk saling mengerti kesusahan
shabat itu penting. Mari berkawan..... :D (ED, 20)
|
berbagi dengan sahabat
anak jalanan membuat gue untuk terus bersyukur..:) (MS, 20)
|
|
Thanks Ya Allah...
Semoga aku bisa
semakin memperbaiki diri,,,Bukannya merusak diri karena satu masalah... Satu
pelajaran lagi yang bisa ku ambil untuk menuntunku ke anak tangga
selanjutnya... \(^^)/ *SUKSES* (SS, 19)
|
|
2 selesai, tinggal 1
lagi...:) alhamdulillah... ( SB, 19)
|
|
Ayo kita ke salon
khusus cewek, kita creambath abis gosong ujian ehehe... (KP, 21)
|
Groaning
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Sumpah pegel -..- (AW,
20)
|
otak terbagi-bagi
untuk : proposal RM, ujian TPG, essay LAD, analisis LC . seandainya bisa
membelah diri =,=" (AE, 19)
|
mau
ngebaaaaaaaaaaaand... T_T (DM, 19)
|
tadi siang pening
karena tadi malem g tidur.sekarang karrena kebanyakan tidur.hm....... (HA,
20)
|
Lupa makan... =.=
pantesan pusing.. hoalah.. *deritaassign**nt T_T (DN, 19) |
”Miris dengan keadaan
iman sendiri”... (SS, 19)
|
siapa bilang ga masuk
sama dengan ga kerja? butek ni kepala gw! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (BG, 20)
|
Ternyata semuanya jauh
lebih buruk dari yang ku bayangkan...
Astagfirrullahhalazim...
Perubahan yang sungguh menurun drastis !!! :( :( :( (AB, 18)
|
woi operator bbm,
jangan terlalu sering pending doang... (UD, 22)
|
selalu kaya gini, udah
adem, panas lagi.. ada aja penyebabnya.. (AG, 18)
|
dilema tingkat tinggi.
ah! (PP, 19)
|
ya tugas, kapan engkau
berhenti menyita waktu istirahatku?? (HI, 20)
|
busyet dah, puncak
macet bnget (UN, 22)
|
rasanya putus ma pacar
pas ujian akhir itu kaya kecebur ke kolam jus mengkudu busuk trus dipaksa
makan udang sebaskom sama algojo yang dandan gaya bencong......!! =.="
(RA, 19)
|
Confirming
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
unie kitty....kmu blon
kirim file-nya ke aku y? (AN, 20)
|
kami dh krim email
bgian kmi..tlg dicheck juga linknya buat tambhan..thanks (AD, 20)
|
thnk dk, ud confirm.
(YT, 23)
|
Aduh, maaf banget ya
baru di confirm...n_n . Salam kenal ya...makasih udah request. (AN, 23)
|
Hey, sms blm dblez, knal
ga ma tu orang? gw mles nerima yg strange2.. (JK, 21)
|
Dear kawan, check
email kalian ya.....Thanks (NF, 20)
|
gausa di approve deh
bang,,
gue juga ga penah contact" an ama dia (ER, 19) |
Kawan , kapan ya
kita tuntasin ept bagian kita?
dikumpulin hari selasa kan? jadi kayaknya ngerjainnya mesti weekend ini deh, kalo ga besok, sabtu ato minggu? (SD, 20) |
ul...bsok gw krumah
lw,lw ada dirumah ga?? (AD, 22)
|
aul gmna? dah better
blum say?btw ethicsnya uda ap blum say.... (NY, 20)
|
Discussion
Referring
to the findings above, there is a clear difference in the
language used by males and females which underlying expression of
aggressiveness versus supportiveness and directive versus negotiable. This
analysis supported by the theory of Herring (2000) in the male/aggressive and
female/supportive dichotomy theory. As indicated in the loving table, the way
male expressing their love is straight and very explicit while female
expressing their love implicitly. It may cause by many factors such as the
courage of the person and the level of their love relationship. In the next table
which is the hating table, it indicated the 'Aggressive' expressions recorded
in the posts are mostly written by male. Moreover, posts by male often used
many exclamations which considered aggressive. Male are also using swearword that
we find in the third and fifth expression in the hating table. Compare to the
female post that indicated using self-reflection in expressing their hate. In
the ridiculing table, male used far more openly aggressive language, including direct
personal attacks and over sarcastic while female posts ridicule someone in an
open way, so it’s not considered as personal ridicule. Then, in the encourage
table, the most significant part is the numbers of the man posts in encouraging
table are 45% less than female posts. Furthermore, the supportive language used
by female is well composed compare to the male posts. Next, is the groaning
table which is not really showed some significant difference except the length
of each male posts are shorter than female posts. The last table is the
confirming table which significantly indicated the directive of male posts and
the negotiable of female posts. Both of them are clearly represented by the
first, second and fifth posts in the confirming table.
There is undeniably a gender differences on students’ use of
language on Facebook in SSE. Male are tend to post in an aggressive and
directive way, while female tend to be far more supportive and negotiable in
their posts.
The reason seems lies very much in the different approach taken by
women and men towards this new electronic technology. It is congruent with the
socialization and integration of males and females into society. Men apparently see the opportunity provided by
this technology as a chance to easily gaining valuable information by being a directive
and show some power by being aggressive and sarcastic, while women apparently
view this technology as an opportunity to nurture existing relationships and even
develop new ones by being more supportive and gaining valuable information
politely by being negotiable. In conclusion, language styles in online
communication are different because they reflect the different goals of the
users.
References
Poynton, C. (1989). Language and Gender: Making the Difference. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Wardhaugh, R. (1986). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics.
Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Tannen, D. (1991). How to Close the Communication Gap between Men and Women,
downloaded in July 2nd 2011 from,
Herring, S.C. (2000) "Gender differences in CMC: Findings and
implications". Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Journal, downloaded in July 2nd 2011 from, http://www.cpsr.org/issues/womenintech/herring/view?searchterm=herring
Herring,
S.C. (ed.) 1996. Computer-Mediated
Communication: Linguistic, Social and Cross-Cultural Perspectives.
Amsterdam: John Benjamins.