#PRIDEFALL: sobre affordances, comunidades e (im)polidez no ambiente digital

Abstract

Recently, we have observed that dialogues in communicative exchanges have taken on a belligerent and violent tone in digital environments. Evidence of this can be seen in the cyberattacks against the LGBT+ community, orchestrated by a group within the social network 4chan in 2019, with the intent of promoting digital terrorism through the use of the hashtag #pridefall on Twitter/X profiles of users who either supported or belonged to this community. In this context, our study aims to analyze the use of #pridefall in association with the concepts of impoliteness (Culpeper, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2011) and impoliteness in digital environments (Garcés-Conejos Blitvich, 2010; Culpeper, 2018; Oliveira & Carneiro, 2020; Oliveira & Marciano, 2022; Oliveira et al., 2024). In this study, we understand the hashtag as an affordance (Gibson, 1979; 1986), a resource with an assumed function. Regarding this tool, we outline a panorama from its origin to its current uses (Boyd, 2007; Houston, 2013; Zappavigna, 2015, 2018; Anderson, 2017; Bernard, 2019). Our investigation was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on tracing the emergence of #pridefall, beginning with the observation of activity on Twitter/X in 2019. The hashtag became a trending topic the following year, as confirmed by Google Trends, a tool that highlights popular topics online. The second phase of the study centered on the collection of Twitter/X posts containing the hashtag in question. Using the platform’s advanced search tool and its academic research interface, we compiled a corpus of over 2,500 posts. The content was stored in text format, and the original posts were also preserved. For data processing, analysis, and categorization, we used Sketch Engine, a text concordancer software. The data were categorized and analyzed based on the theoretical framework presented in this study. The results indicated that the hashtag functioned both as a tool for mobilizing groups in digital environments and as a mechanism that promotes impoliteness. Furthermore, we identified a specific usage pattern of this affordance, which we named the Subverted Mirror Effect. This refers to the reappropriation of the hashtag by the targeted group, which redirects the focus away from the original aggressors and instead centers the narrative on the group under attack, effectively erasing the visibility of its creators. Our research contributes to the field of impoliteness studies in digital contexts and offers a multifaceted perspective on the hashtag as a dynamic tool within virtual environments.