PARALINGUISTIC FEATURES IN EVALUATION OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

This article examines the role of paralinguistic features in digital communication. While face-to-face interaction relies on intonation, pauses, gestures and facial expressions to convey emotions and intentions, these non-verbal cues are often limited or absent online. Users compensate by using textual markers such as punctuation, capitalization, ellipses, and emoticons, which communicate tone, emphasis, hesitation, and emotional nuances. The study also consider cultural and cognitive factors, showing that the interpretation of these cues may vary across different communities. The findings indicate that although some traditional paralinguistic signals are reduced in digital contexts, new strategies emerge to preserve emotional expressiveness and clarity in communication. This highlights the continuing importance of paralinguistic elements for effective understanding and interaction in virtual environments.