Socio-psychological Mechanisms of Generation and Dissemination of Network Curse Words

Book excerpt: With the swift development of computer technology, network curse words are increasingly polluting the cyber-environment, leaving individuals and society with immeasurable psychological and physical loss. This study explores social and psychological mechanisms of network curse words in terms of network salutation, pragmatic identity, linguistic adaptation, primacy effect, memetics, group think, prejudice, conformity, and group emotions. It is concluded that network salutation curse words were supported by pragmatic mechanisms; primacy effect may exert great influence on network curse words; network curse words are considered as a branch of language and may be explained with memetics; group think may lead to network curse words; constructing pragmatic identities with network curse words reflects irrational social psychology and psychological conformity; prejudice is a negative psychological assessment resulting in network curse words; conformity may leave the public with loss of judgments, stimulating group emotions and influencing harmony and health of social psychology.