The Meaning and Functions of Sarcasm and Humour in Gen Z Netizens’ Comments on Viral Issues on TikTok: A Pragma-Semantic Analysis
Main Article Content
Isti Qomatusadiah Fimulkillah
Nurrifani Nurrifani
Najwa Riskiyani
Tatu Siti Rohbiah
The increasing use of sarcasm and humour in social media discourse has transformed online comment sections into significant spaces for social criticism and public engagement. The present study investigates the use of sarcasm and humour by Generation Z (Gen Z) netizens on TikTok from a pragma-semantic perspective, focusing on their responses to viral issues during 2025–2026. It examines how sarcastic and humorous expressions function not only as forms of entertainment but also as vehicles for criticism, resistance, and evaluation in contemporary digital communication. Employing a qualitative content analysis to examine 20 TikTok comments selected from five viral topics. The analysis was guided by Austin’s (1962) dan Searle’s (1969) Speech-Act theory and a pragma-semantic framework, which integrates semantic meaning with contextual interpretation to uncover the pragmatic functions of sarcasms ang humour. The findings reveal a functional shift in online language use, in which TikTok comments serve not merely locutionary purposes of information sharing but also illocutionary functions of criticism, satire, and social resistance. Gen Z users frequently employ indirect speech, absurd humour, irony, wordplay, and (clumsy) metaphors to express scepticism toward public figures, institutions, and policies. Furthermore, conventional expressions such as “thank you” undergo semantic-pragmatic shifts, functioning sarcastically in specific contexts. The findings demonstrate that humour and sarcasm have become strategic communicative resources through which Gen Z articulates social criticism, negotiates public issues, and actively participate in contemporary digital discourse.
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Isti Qomatusadiah Fimulkillah , Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten
Isti Qomatusadiah Fimulkillah is an undergraduate student in English Language Education at UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. She is passionate about pragma-semantics and sociolinguistics, focusing on digital communication and language shifts. She can be contacted at email: istiqomatusadiah@gmail.com
Nurrifani Nurrifani , Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten
Nurrifani is an undergraduate student in English Language Education at UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. She is passionate about pragma-semantics and sociolinguistics, focusing on digital communication and language shifts. She can be contacted at email: nurifani99887@gmail.com
Najwa Riskiyani , Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten
Najwa Riskiyani is an undergraduate student in English Language Education at UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. She is passionate about pragma-semantics and sociolinguistics, focusing on digital communication and language shifts. She can be contacted at email: njwarskyni@gmail.com
Tatu Siti Rohbiah , Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten
Tatu Siti Rohbiah is a lecturer in Education at Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin State Islamic University (UIN) Banten. Her teaching areas are in teacher education, particularly in the field of linguistics. She can be contacted at email: tatu.siti.rohbiah@uinbanten.ac.id
