Social Media as a Medium of Expression: an Analysis of Illocutionary Speech Acts in @komik.grontol's Posts

This study aims to describe the forms and functions of illocutionary speech acts in the Instagram posts of @komik.grontol. This is a qualitative descriptive research. The data consist of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences found in the posts of @komik.grontol that represent the account owner's attitude toward recent social phenomena. The data source is the Instagram account @komik.grontol, from which 10 posts produced between January 17, 2023, and September 26, 2023, were selected. Data were collected by downloading images from the @komik.grontol account, then transcribing the images into text and translating them into English. The collected data were analyzed using John Searle's theory of illocutionary speech acts and Peirce's semiotic theory. The results of the study show that the forms of illocutionary speech acts in @komik.grontol’s posts include: a) directive speech acts in the form of invitations, b) expressive speech acts in the form of complaints and expressions of dislike, and c) assertive speech acts in the form of narrating facts and events. The functions of the speech acts in the @komik.grontol posts fall into two categories. The first function is to satirize the government for being unwilling to accept criticism and to mock individuals who behave carelessly and unwisely. The second function is to raise awareness among others not to believe someone's statements blindly without considering the context and background of the speaker.