A Portrayal of Digital Humanity in Quora Digital Platform through Speech Acts Analysis

Quora is an emerging digital platform that provides a global virtual space for the sharing and inquiry of various topics occurring worldwide. One prevalent discussion topic on Quora is depression. An increasing number of individuals are expressing their experiences with depression on Quora in hopes of receiving responses from others. This research aims to investigate the linguistic features of discussions surrounding depression on Quora through a pragmatic lens, employing speech act analysis. The study focuses on the functions and strategies of speech acts utilized to convey matters related to depression on this platform. Data were collected from Quora's depression topic, specifically from the most recent inquiries. From a total of 67 data points gathered, 20 utterances were selected as the research data for analysis, based on their relevance to the topic of depression. These 20 data points represent a diverse array of contributions from individuals, including personal accounts, medical professionals, scientists, psychologists, and other health experts, thereby reflecting the broader discourse on depression within the Quora community. The research findings indicate that individuals tend to exhibit empathy on digital platforms, particularly on Quora. It was determined that the most commonly employed speech act functions in discussions related to depression on Quora, in order of frequency, are questioning, expressing, and directing. Furthermore, the explicit strategy was predominantly utilized to articulate feelings of depression and intention, employing both direct and indirect approaches. Ultimately, this research suggests that Quora may serve as a valuable tool for examining the symptoms of depression within the digital society.