EUPHEMISMS AND SYNTACTIC STRATEGIES IN THE ONLINE CONCEALMENT OF DEPRESSION AMONG NIGERIAN UNDERGRADUATES

This study investigates how Nigerian undergraduates express and conceal depressive experiences on social media through euphemistic and syntactic strategies. Anchored in Grice’s Cooperative Principle, the research examines the pragmatic functions of indirect language, hedging, and figurative expressions in digital communication. The study focuses on undergraduate students of English and Literary Studies and Mass Communication at Godfrey Okoye University and Coal City University in Enugu State. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected through questionnaires and corpus sampling of social media posts from platforms such as Twitter (X), TikTok, and Instagram. The analysis employed mean scores to evaluate patterns of euphemistic and syntactic usage, with a cut-off mean of 2.5 for acceptance. Findings revealed that students frequently employ euphemisms, metaphors, passive constructions, and fragmented syntax to articulate depressive feelings indirectly. Expressions such as “I’m just tired,” “lowkey done,” and “feeling numb” were common, highlighting the role of figurative language as both an expressive and protective mechanism. The study found that such linguistic strategies are culturally influenced, platform-specific, and serve to mitigate social risk while communicating distress. The grand mean scores of all items under each research question exceeded the 2.5 threshold, indicating consistent usage of euphemistic and syntactic patterns in digital depressive expression. Empirical evidence from Benammar (2024), Bayisa (2017), Zhong et al. (2022), Price (2022), Hidoussi (2020), Fajardo (2023), and Golubeva (2024) supports these findings, emphasizing the social, cultural, and pragmatic dimensions of euphemistic and figurative language in online discourse. Based on these insights, the study recommends integrating digital literacy and emotional communication training into university programs, promoting culturally sensitive mental health campaigns, developing peer support networks, and conducting platform-specific linguistic research. The study concludes that Nigerian undergraduates navigate depressive experiences online through strategic language choices that balance self-expression, cultural norms, and social acceptability. By understanding these linguistic patterns, educators, counselors, and policymakers can better design interventions that support emotional well-being and foster empathetic digital communities