The Analysis of Speech Acts in Comments on Cinta Kuya’s Instagram Post: Literacy-Shaming as a Form of Cyberbullying

Jihan Azmi Kusmawan; Geubrina Ramadhani Iskandar; Intan Putri Ginary; Chairunnisa Chairunnisa; Dian Marisha Putri

doi:10.31764/leltj.v13i2.36496

The Analysis of Speech Acts in Comments on Cinta Kuya’s Instagram Post: Literacy-Shaming as a Form of Cyberbullying

Jihan Azmi Kusmawan, Geubrina Ramadhani Iskandar, Intan Putri Ginary, Chairunnisa Chairunnisa, Dian Marisha Putri

Abstract

This study examines the linguistic phenomenon of literacy shaming as a form of cyberbullying within the Indonesian digital landscape, specifically focusing on the comment section of Cinta Kuya’s Instagram post regarding the looting of her house. While previous studies on speech acts have extensively covered educational and political discourse, there remains a significant gap in understanding how English proficiency is leveraged as a status symbol to facilitate moral judgment and social domination in Indonesia's cyberspace. This research aims to identify the types and pragmatic functions of illocutionary acts that constitute literacy shaming and to explain how these acts reproduce social hierarchies. Using a descriptive qualitative method grounded in Searle’s Speech Act Theory, the researchers analyzed a purposive sample of 30 high-engagement comments categorized into themes of intellectuality, family background, and animal welfare. The results demonstrate that expressive acts are the most dominant (11 data points), frequently utilizing sarcasm and insults to attack the victim's intelligence. This is followed by declarative acts (8 data points) which construct negative social realities, and assertive acts (5 data points) that frame subjective assessments as facts. This study contributes academically by expanding the application of Pragmatics into Cyber Discourse, highlighting how language functions not merely for communication but as a tool for social control and psychological aggression. The findings emphasize the urgent need for digital literacy and empathy to mitigate the harmful impacts of linguistic-based bullying in online public spaces.

Keywords

Cyberbullying; Illocutionary; Instagram comments; Social media; Speech acts.

Full Text:

PDF

References

H. J. Prayitno et al., “Politeness of Directive Speech Acts on Social Media Discourse and Its Implications for Strengthening Student Character Education in the Era of Global Education,” Asian Journal of University Education, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 179–200, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.24191/ajue.v17i4.16205.

R. J. Searle, Expression and Meaning Studies in the Theory of Speech Act. Cambridge University Press, 1979.

S. W. Aulia and A. Kurniadi, “Speech Act Analysis of Teacher Talk in Eafl Classroom Corresponding Author,” Jurnal Penelitian Humaniora, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 101–107, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.23917/humaniora.v20i2.9871.

A. Junior, “UNICEF poll: More than a third of young people in 30 countries report being a victim of online bullying,” UNICEF. Accessed: Nov. 13, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-poll-more-third-young-people-30-countries-report-being-victim-online-bullying

M. Anderson, “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying,” Pew Research Center. Accessed: Nov. 13, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/

G. Gohal et al., “Prevalence and related risks of cyberbullying and its effects on adolescent,” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04542-0.

S. Saengprang and S. Gadavanij, “LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network Cyberbullying: The Case of Public Figures,” Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 344–369, 2021, [Online]. Available: https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/LEARN/index

M. Dewi and F. Y. Seli, “The Speech Act Analysis of Cyberbullying on Instagram,” PEDAGOGIC: Indonesian Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 82–92, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.54373/ijset.v3i2.103.

N. S. Mufiah, M. Yazid, and N. Rahman, “Speech Acts Analysis of Donald Trump’s Speech,” 2018.

L. J. Austin, How to Do Things With Words . Oxford University Press, 1962.

J. Lekscha and M. Mirbabaie, “How to analyze cyberbullying on social media platforms A systematic literature review in information systems,” i-com, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 385–405, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.1515/icom-2025-0005.

P. Yi and A. Zubiaga, “Session-based cyberbullying detection in social media: A survey,” Online Soc. Netw. Media, vol. 36, Jul. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.osnem.2023.100250.

G. Rides, H. Pote, and D. Watling, “Adolescents’ perceptions of using likes, comments, and other reactions—A qualitative investigation,” British Journal of Developmental Psychology, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 595–610, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12537.

L. D. Mardianti, “Rumah Uya Kuya Dijarah Massa: Harta Benda hingga Kucing Peliharaan Diangkut,” TEMPO, Aug. 31, 2025. Accessed: Nov. 04, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.tempo.co/politik/rumah-uya-kuya-dijarah-massa-harta-benda-hingga-kucing-peliharaan-diangkut-2064954

C. Kuya, “My Story: The real actual story,” Instagram. Accessed: Feb. 11, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOkoRumlSrl/?igsh=anBuMjBzaDJvbm5q

J. Habermas, On The Pragmatics of Communication. MIT Press, 1998.

M. Hidajat, R. A. Adam, M. Danaparamita, and Suhendrik, “Dampak Media Sosial dalam Cyber Bullying,” Mar. 2015. doi: https://doi.org/10.21512/comtech.v6i1.2289.

M. I. Abi, A. Syahid, and N. Alfilail, “Cyberbullying Netizens Against Artist’s Children on Instagram Social Media in Indonesia,” in Seminar Nasional Trilingual Bahasa Sastra dan Pariwisata II, 2nd Trilingual National Seminar 2024, Jul. 2024, pp. 43–47.

Y. Ahmadi, Y. R. Syaifullah, and B. Hermawan, “Speech Acts on Instagram comments about G20 Indonesia,” DIKSI, vol. 32, pp. 76–92, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.21831/diksi.v32i1.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31764/leltj.v13i2.36496