Sep 4, 2024 11:00 AM
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Cancelled

Mirrors of Ego: Conceptual Metaphors of Narcissism in Social Media Discourse

Mirrors of Ego: Conceptual Metaphors of Narcissism in Social Media Discourse

Panel:
[PA] Semiotics of Guilt. Reconstructing Collective Shame and False Confessions in Digital Media and Beyond (Cristina Greco)
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Speaker:
Saule Juzeleniene
Kaunas University of technology
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This study explores the role of conceptual metaphors in framing narcissism within social media discourse, investigating how these metaphors not only reflect but also shape societal perceptions of self-centric behavior in the digital age. Social media platforms, conceptualised as contemporary mirrors of ego, offer a ground for the expression and reinforcement of narcissistic tendencies, mediated through language and symbolic interaction. The methodology of the research is based on the conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnsson, 1980), multimodal and visual metaphor theories (Forceville, 2008, 2024). MIP (Pragglejazz, 2007), VISMIP (Negro, 2017), FILMIP (Bort-Mir, 2019) procedures were applied for the identification and construction of the metaphors related to the concept of NARCISSISM, as a target domain. For the semiotic analysis, Greimas’ (1993) semiotic theory was used: in the context of social media discourse, the posts, tweets, and interactions were regarded as narratives where users (subjects) aim to achieve certain impressions (objects) with the help of various tools (helpers) like images, hashtags, and language, potentially facing opposition (opponents) from critics or competing narratives. The findings reveal a complex network of metaphors, including but not limited to NARCISSISM AS REFLECTION/MIROR, (NARCISISTIC) SELF AS BRAND, and ATTENTION AS CURRENCY. These metaphors not only facilitate the commodification of self in the digital space but also entrench a cultural ethos that normalizes narcissistic exhibitionism as a mode of social engagement. The analysis also considers how the collective adoption of these metaphors in social media discourse influences broader cultural narratives about narcissism, selfhood, and authenticity.

Location:
3.120 room, WLS (Dobra 55 street)

Explore Sessions

02
September
9:30
-
10:30
Location:
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
Congress events
Opening Ceremony

September 2, 2024
Congress events
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
02
September
10:30
-
11:30
Location:
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
From Signs of Language to Semioses of Life: Paradigms and Turns in Global Semiotics

September 2, 2024
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
02
September
11:30
-
12:15
Location:
Australia Hall, WLS (Dobra 55 street)
Catering
Coffee break [catering]

September 2, 2024
Catering
Australia Hall, WLS (Dobra 55 street)
Saule Juzeleniene