College Students’ Use of Impoliteness Expression in the WeChat Diction ()
1. Introduction
Politeness expression has been a field of particular interest for scholars in China and abroad for many years. Politeness expression plays an important part in our social life. If we can use politeness expression well in social life, we can achieve success in most occasions [1] . The fact is that the two situations most people can encounter are politeness and impoliteness. The researches on relevant concepts of politeness expressions have made great contributions. They can make people have a clear understanding of what is politeness and how to distinguish them with impoliteness. But as an independent language form, impoliteness expressions need to be further studied because of their short history and inadequate researches.
This paper aims at analyzing college students’ use of impoliteness expression in the WeChat diction. It is supposed to answer the following questions:
1) Among the four categories of impoliteness expressions, which categories are college students more likely to use in WeChat diction?
2) What are the social factors that affect college students’ use of impolite expressions?
2. Literature Review
Politeness expression plays a big part in our lives. Geng (1998) argues that if we can use politeness expression well in social life, we can achieve success in most occasions. The fact is that the two situations most people can encounter are politeness and impoliteness. To further study college students’ use of impoliteness expression in the WeChat diction, the most relevant researches and works to this study are reviewed, including relevant concepts of politeness expressions, together with the meaning and employment of impoliteness expressions.
2.1. Relevant Concepts of Politeness Expressions
Paying attention to politeness is a common phenomenon in verbal communication [2] . Pragmatic factors play an important role in affecting politeness behavior. Many Chinese researchers have done deep researches about how pragmatic factors influence politeness expressions. From inspection and analysis, Geng (1998) held that the pragmatic factors that affect the politeness of speech mainly include social factors, cultural factors, psychological factors and linguistic factors. The relationship between two speakers can be changed by different factors and the speakers’ language will be different accordingly. Whether the speech is suitable for politeness depends on whether the chosen words are suitable for the relationship between the speakers [3] . Politeness language not only reflects the norms of words and morality in a particular society, but also is an integral part of a specific language system [4] [5] .
Pragmatic distance principle is also an indispensible factor in affecting politeness expressions. The language used by the speaker in the specific communicative behavior is the reflection of the specific pragmatic distance between the speaker and the receiver [6] . The higher the degree is of pragmatic intimacy between the two parties, the lower the requirement of linguistic politeness is, and vice versa. Therefore, the essence of discourse politeness is the appropriateness of discourse to the degree of pragmatic intimacy between communicative parties [7] .
The researches on relevant concepts of politeness expressions have made great contributions. They can make people have a clear understanding of what is politeness and how to distinguish them with impoliteness. But as an independent language form, impoliteness expressions need to be further studied.
2.2. Relevant Concepts of Impoliteness Expressions
2.2.1 The Development of Impoliteness Research
The beginning of impoliteness research is originated from politeness study. In the past, domestic academic professors paid more attention to polite expressions. The occasional mention of impolite language was also from the point of view of how to use impolite language to promote the politeness of speech act. Although, as Leech points out, “conflictive illocutions tend, thankfully, to be rather marginal to human linguistic behavior in normal circumstances”, there are contexts in which conflictive illocutions are rather more central. In real life, people sometimes have to use impolite expressions on purpose in order to make the conversation atmosphere more relaxing, let the relationship between them and the other side closer or to express their sarcasm and dissatisfaction [8] , which makes the study of impoliteness expressions become very important.
Unlike politeness expressions, there aren’t many researches about impoliteness studies. The study of impoliteness expressions has a short history. The first research of impoliteness behavior began in the 1980s [9] . The use of impolite language belongs to the phenomenon of “conflict discourse” [10] . Kienpointer, M. (1997) distinguished overt discourtesy and covert discourtesy [11] . Impolite language tools are characterized by system, tactic and cultural diversity. The model and method of impoliteness research are put forward [12] . Culpeper, J. (2011) discussed the forms and theoretical basis of the bad manners in English. By absorbing the research results of pragmatics and social psychology, Culpeper (2011) also analyzed the operation mechanism of impolite speech behavior [13] . One limitation of Culpeper (1996) is that it is focused rather too narrowly on single impoliteness strategies, usually made up of particular grammatical or lexical items [14] .
2.2.2. Explanations of Impoliteness Expressions
Generally speaking, people’s bad manners are manifested as impolite behavior and impolite words. Impolite behavior refers to the uncivilized behavior that violates the basic social morality and etiquette, such as spitting and littering. Impolite expression refers to the impolite language content or form in communication [15] . I mainly talk about impoliteness expression in this paper. Impoliteness expression means the use of strategies that are designed to attack face and thereby cause social conflict and disharmony [12] . Impoliteness refers to a negative attitude towards certain behaviors in a specific context [16] . Goffman (1967) suggests to us that there are three types of action which constitute a threat to face [17] . Zhang (2009) divided impoliteness expressions into four categories, including motivated impoliteness, informational impoliteness, strategic and non-strategic impoliteness [8] . Due to some specific reasons, speakers may express their thoughts and feelings in subtle or indirect ways, consciously or unconsciously. This phenomenon is called implication [18] . From the perspective of interpersonal psychology, the problems in psychological communication are caused by the hearer’s wrong understanding of the speaker’s word when communicating information, emotional communication and ideological communication [19] . Sometimes, impolite speech acts can also achieve the purpose of communication, and even achieve better communication effect than using polite language. The definition and classification of impolite language make full preparation for future pragmatic research of impolite language.
2.2.3. Factors that Influence Impoliteness Expressions
For the factors that influence the use of impoliteness expressions, studies in this area mostly point out that gender affects it to a large degree. Research shows that as early as childhood, men learn to think abstractly and they value behavior. Women, on the other hand, tend to think more concretely and pay more attention to emotions and relationships with others [20] . Men use more expletive words than women. Remarkably, both sexes use it more in same-sex groups than in heterosexual groups [21] . Male conversation may include swearing, shouting, threats, and even insults, which can sometimes become a way of showing closeness [21] . In our daily life, female words can better meet most people’s face needs and be more polite than men’s language, and women are more sensitive to language that may damage others’ face than men.
2.3. Comment
As a new form of language developing under the advanced technology, studies that link Internet language with impoliteness expression are few and not profound enough, especially for the study of college students’ Internet impolite language. Therefore, I conduct this research to perform further exploration to fill the research gap in this aspect.
3. Research Methods
3.1. Data Collection
Data is from the content of the chatting records of a large WeChat group with 134 members-Hubin 12 Housings’ 2021 graduate Management group in a comprehensive university in Wuhan in the latest month.
Additionally, this study adopts in-depth interview to further explore why those students use impolite expressions and factors affecting their use of impoliteness expressions. I use Chinese version interview in order to avoid misunderstanding or ambiguity. The interview is conducted among members in the WeChat group mentioned above. The number of the interviewees is 10 in total. Interviews are carried out individually face to face. In the process of the interview, I initiated the conversation by quoting the impoliteness expressions in the chatting records of the WeChat group. Interviews were conducted according to the interview outline prepared advance, but there were also occasions when I added some questions valuable inspired by answers of interviewees. Each interview lasts about 5 minutes. Every interview was recorded and after the interviews I used Xunfeitingjian APP to transcribe the recording content.
3.2. Research Procedure
Firstly, I transfer the content of the chosen WeChat group’s chatting records into the form of files. It is important to keep the form of dialogue, which makes it easier to find out the impoliteness expression and its contexts. Then I read through the files first. According to the definitions of impoliteness expression and typical impolite words in our common sense, sentences with impoliteness expressions are picked out. During the process of judging whether the words are impolite, the context is referred to improve the accuracy of the judgement. Next, due to the standard of impoliteness expression classification [8] , I classify impoliteness words having been picked out into four categories, including motivated impoliteness, informational impoliteness, strategic and non-strategic impoliteness.
From the transcription of interviews, the inner activities of students when they use impoliteness expressions are revealed. Furthermore, factors affecting their use of impoliteness expressions are explored.
4. Results and Discussion
From the analysis of the chatting records in the chosen WeChat group, it is found that among college students, motivated impoliteness, informational impoliteness and strategic impoliteness are common, while non-strategic impoliteness is rare in college students’ daily communication.
According to Zhang (2009), impoliteness expressions are classified into four categories. They are motivated impoliteness, informational impoliteness, strategic impoliteness and non-strategic impoliteness.
Impoliteness expressions may be caused by the speaker’s motivation. It is a direct attack on the face of the listener. In the chatting records of the WeChat group, this kind of impoliteness words are common, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
From these sentences, it is learned that the person who sent this message wanted to express her dissatisfaction towards those people who made the noise. The use of impoliteness expression is deliberately caused by the speaker and it caused a negative effect on the communication. In the chosen WeChat group, there are also many other impoliteness expressions belonging to this category, as shown in Figure 3.
Informational impoliteness can be further divided into conscious impoliteness and unconscious impoliteness from the perspective of the speaker. Additionally, it can be further divided into the outward impoliteness and the actual impoliteness from the perspective of the words’ effect on the hearer. Conscious impoliteness means that the speaker consciously uses impoliteness expressions in
Figure note: I’d like to ask you if you’ve got the wrong takeout, it’s a red grapefruit and bread. Trouble 308 near the dormitory sisters can gently drag the bench? It’s nighttime. Are they renovating? Do any of you want to join us for milk tea?
Figure 1. Participants talking about the noise.
Figure note: Thank you, sister. I’ve borrowed it. I need a contact lens solution. Which one of you is using the hair dryer in the 1st floor corridor? Can you do it earlier? Everyone is resting at this hour. Can the administrator of @Yanzi take care of this matter the dormitories close to the hallway outlet are tortured every day just ready to go to bed or just fall asleep by the sound of the hair dryer can’t sleep can you tell some students to stop blowing their hair in the hallway after 11:00 a.m.? Take some measures, think about it. Eleven o’clock is already very late. Going to bed after eleven o’clock is like staying up late. If you don’t want to go to bed, you can’t force others to stay up late with you, can you?
Figure 2. Participants talking about the noise.
Figure note: If it is a group of sisters took the words I really want to say really do not have to ha we wait for delivery also waited for a long time so cold day is also very hungry you this is a waste of our money and let us do not have to eat why ah. I think it’s time to tell the school to put up surveillance cameras and fix what’s broken. If I’d taken the takeout, I’d call the CCTV and make Ta look bad. What’s wrong with him? Auntie said the security department can check the security cameras. Even the ones in the hallway? You can watch out for sneaky people around you. When do you have time to go together? You’re a college student, can’t you have some moral boundaries?
Figure 3. Participants talking about the stealing.
talking with others. Unconscious impoliteness means that the speaker consciously uses politeness expression in talking with the hearer. The aim of the speaker is to achieve a positive communication effect. However, the hearer considers it as impolite.
The outward impoliteness means that the words spoken by the speaker seems to be impolite, but it is polite to the hearer. The common example is that we tend to use some seemingly impolite expressions with people close to us. Those expressions aren’t impolite to them. Instead, if we deliberately use politeness expressions in informal occasions when talking to people close to us, hearers will consider them as impolite. This is called the actual impoliteness.
In the analysis of the chatting records, it is found that students use more conscious impoliteness expressions, as shown in Figure 1.
When speakers use these impoliteness expressions, they consciously want to use impoliteness expressions and those expressions are impolite to the hearers obviously. As a result, they belong to conscious impoliteness and actual impoliteness expressions.
Strategic impoliteness means that speakers use impoliteness words as a pragmatic strategy. The main outcome of strategic impoliteness is the fulfillment of the speaker’s intention. At the same time, some negative outcomes accompany
with the use of strategic impoliteness expressions. The relationship between the speaker and the hearer may become tense. Strategic impoliteness has a set of specific implementation methods, such as provocation, intimidation. This kind of impoliteness also appear in the chatting record of the chosen WeChat group. For example, “If my take-out is stolen, I will definitely try to obtain the monitor and ruin the thief’s reputation”. In this sentence, the method of intimidation is used to achieve the aim of the speaker. In this case, it is more possible for the hearer to behave as the speaker expects.
Non-strategic impoliteness means that in many cases, speakers use impoliteness expressions on impulse or just to vent his feelings in a certain context. Furthermore, there is another occasion when the speaker isn’t aware of his words are impolite or make the hearer uncomfortable, even hurts the hearer. The reason behind this occasion is that the speaker may not know the cultural background or the life experience of the hearer, thus causing the misunderstanding of the hearer. Such kind of impoliteness expression is called non-strategic impoliteness expression. There are several reasons which can explain why non-strategic impoliteness expressions are rare in college students. In a WeChat group, students are more careful with their expressions considering their own image in the mind of other members in the WeChat group. As a result, if students use impoliteness expressions, it is not on impulse but after careful consideration. Furthermore, there aren’t great difference among graduate students’ cultural background or life experience, as most graduate students are domestic, which reduces the possibility of misunderstanding among them.
The study will also find that gender, social status and the relationship between speakers and hearers are decisive factors for students to use impolite expressions or not. College students tend to use impoliteness expression more often with male than with female. This is because in most college students’ minds, female students themselves are more polite. Additionally, female students are more sensitive than male students, which make speakers more careful with their words when talking with female students.
受访者A 我倾向于跟异性跟男朋友吵架，跟同性是考虑女生比较敏感，不太会说一些重的话。而且感觉女生之间也都挺客气的，大家也不会说非要吵架怎样，而且女孩子都比较可爱，用不着说很重的话。 I tend to fight with the opposite sex and my boyfriend, but with the same sex because girls are more sensitive and less likely to say something heavy. And I feel that girls are polite to each other, they don’t say that they have to fight, and girls are more cute, so they don’t need to say very heavy words.
受访者H 我使用不礼貌用语的话，女生可能会要稍微温柔一点，对于男生的话就会更多地使用不礼貌用语。 I would probably have to be a little gentler with girls if I used rude words, and more so with guys.
On terms of the influence of the social status on the use of impoliteness expressions, it is found that college students tend to use less impoliteness expressions or no impoliteness expressions with people who have high social status or with the eldership. On the one hand, college students have been educated to respect the eldership, which is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. On the other hand, from the interview with college students, it is found that people with high social status themselves use less impoliteness words because of their high moral character. As a result, college students tend to use less impoliteness words with them.
受访者A 我会考虑谈话对象的社会身份，跟导师说话的时候不能使用不礼貌用语，即使很生气，我也会反思我为什么会生气、想一下导师的用意，不会去使用不礼貌用语。 I will consider the social status of the person I am talking to, and I will not use impolite language when talking to my tutor. Even if I am angry, I will reflect on why I am angry, think about my tutor’s intentions, and will not go out of my way to use impolite language.
受访者B 和同龄人或比我小的可以使用不礼貌用语，这是一种社会规范，要对长辈尊敬，和自己同龄的人就很随意。 It’s a social norm to use rude language with people my age or younger than me, it’s a social norm to be respectful to my elders, it’s casual with people my own age.
受访者C 交流时，我会考虑对方的社会身份，比如导师、或级别比我高的人，我会更礼貌。平辈之间不会顾虑太多。 When communicating, I will consider the social status of the other person, such as a mentor, or someone with a higher rank than me, and I will be more polite. Between peers I wouldn’t worry too much.
受访者E 我的长幼意识比较强。一般跟长辈沟通还蛮顺畅，没有出现一定要用不礼貌语言或者很愤怒的情况。 I have a strong sense of elders and children. Generally, communication with elders was pretty smooth and there were no instances where I had to use rude language or get very angry.
The relationship between speakers and hearers also plays an important part in the use of impoliteness expressions of college students. Close friends use impolite words to each other more frequently, which is also a way to show closeness. Strangers mostly use polite words with each other.
受访者D 和同学会用不礼貌用语，因为感觉比较亲近。而和陌生人就会使用礼貌用语。 With classmates, I would use impolite language because it feels closer. And with strangers, I would use polite language.
5. Conclusions
5.1. Major Findings of the Research
From the analysis of the chatting record in Hubin 12 Housings’ 2021 graduate Management group and interviews with students in this WeChat group, it is found that college students are more likely to use motivated impoliteness, informational impoliteness and strategic impoliteness. They seldom use non-strategic impoliteness.
On terms of the factors affecting college students’ use of impoliteness expressions, gender, social status and the relationship between speakers and hearers greatly influence college students’ use of impoliteness expressions.
5.2. Implications of the Research
The study provides new thoughts for the understanding of the oral communication of college students. We should realize that in oral communication, polite expressions are not always good. Proper use of impolite words is also necessary to make ourselves live comfortably. The study also provides a new study area for researchers. They will pay more attention to the use of impolite language, especially among different roles of people in society.
5.3. Limitations of the Research
Participants in this research are graduates in a WeChat group with 134 members. Because it is a WeChat group in female dormitories, the results may not be universal for all college students. Future studies can expand their participants and make the research more representative.
Appendix I: Chatting Record of the Chosen WeChat Group
湖滨十二舍2021级研究生管理群(134)
2021年10月6日 10:17
好乐呆: 在5号洗衣机洗衣服的姐妹你洗完了我先帮你拿出来了放在盆子里(盆子是干净哒)
2021年10月8日 1:07
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 一楼的都听见了
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 哪个宿舍现在还在轰趴吧？疯了吗大晚上的？
2021年10月10日 14:19
Sia: 六楼的门能不能关关好风太大了一直撞门真的很吵
2021年10月12日 7:41
🐼: 六楼的姐妹有点毛病吧，还有其他楼层的姐妹11点以后能不能别再六楼吹头发了，我们就住在楼梯口，隔音效果很差，真的很吵！
2021年10月16日 12:01
Sia: 要是是群里的哪个姐妹拿了的话，我真的想说一句真的没必要哈，我们等外卖也等了很久，这么冷的天也很饿的，你这样又浪费了我们的钱又让我们没饭吃何必啊
Q: 我觉得得向学校反映一下了，要装监控，坏了的赶紧修
X: 我要是外卖被拿了一定会去调监控让Ta身败名裂，什么坏毛病
Sia: 阿姨说保卫部可以查监控
Q: 楼道的也可以吗
XX: 大家可以注意一下自己身边有没有鬼鬼祟祟的人
Q: 姐妹们什么时候有时间一起去
X: 都大学生了做人能不能有点道德底线
X: 丢东西的姐妹真的建议你们去调监控杜绝这种恶习
Q: 主要是没有人一起去
Sia: 我可以
Sia: 你丢了啥呀姐妹
Q: 伞
2021年10月16日 18:42
J: 姐妹们买美团优选缺货的情况多吗
J: 我不是很确定了为什么我的水果袋子拿到就是这样的
J: 这也太像人为了
J: 救大命……
麦田守望者: 如果缺货可以去联系商家
J: 我在问了谢谢姐妹
麦田守望者: 看看是不是配送的时候漏了
J: 嗯嗯好嘞
麦田守望者: 好滴！
J: 刚刚接到电话是今天配送晚了所有的都没送到，有姐妹没拿到的也不用担心啦~
2021年10月23日 23:44
W: 麻烦308附近宿舍姐妹可以轻点拖拽板凳吗
W: 大晚上是要搞装修？
2021年10月28日 0:42
Max🚞: 是哪个姐妹在1楼走廊用吹风机，以后可以早点吗？这个点大家都休息了
X: 晏子管理员能不能管一下这个事，离楼道插座近的宿舍天天都备受折磨。刚准备睡觉或者刚睡着就被吹风机的声音吵的睡不着，能不能让有些同学别再十一点以后再楼道里吹头发？采取点措施吧大家也换位思考一下十一点已经很晚了十一点以后睡觉就算是熬夜了你们不想睡也不能强迫别人跟你们一起熬夜吧？
晏子: 温馨提醒：各位同学大家好，请大家遵守宿舍相关规定，注意安排好就寝时间，请十一点半以后不在公共区域使用电器，尽量不影响他人的学习和休息。望大家相互体谅，严格遵守！
2021年10月29日 19:22
Looker💫: 姐妹们，昨天下午我外卖被偷了，今天去保卫部查监控找到了可疑人物。保卫部有一月以内的监控，大家外卖被偷的也可以去保卫部查一查，共同维护湖12的外卖安全
枫林晚意: 我的也被偷了，一起去查了，保卫处那边态度挺好的，愿意配合
静静子: 应该较真一下，她就会收敛一些，大伙儿包括那位同学都要感谢你，都做有才还有德的大学生
楼观沧海日: 所以抓到了吗姐妹们！！太可恶了
Looker💫: 抓到了
Looker💫: 没承认
Looker💫: 但是把钱还给我了，离谱吧
枫林晚意: 而且给不出证据
桃桃四季莞: 啊这？？？？
Piang: 诶不是有监控嘛
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 发名字吧
Looker💫: 有才有德算不上，只是有气
Looker💫: 本科生
Piang: 啊这
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 离谱了
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 是没钱还是咋地
我的头像不是牛油火锅: 吃别人的香吗
Lakeshore Twelve House 2021 Graduate Management Group (134)
October 6, 2021 10:17 pm
Holliday: The sister who washes clothes in washing machine #5, when you’re done, I’ll take them out for you and put them in the basin (which is clean).
October 8th, 2021 at 1:07 am
My avatar is not butter hotpot: Everyone on the first floor heard that.
My avatar is not butter hotpot: Which dorm is still partying? Are you crazy?
October 10th, 2021 at 14:19
Sia: Can you close the door on the sixth floor? It’s too windy. It’s really noisy when I keep banging on the door.
October 12, 2021 7:41 pm
🐼: The sisters on the 6th floor have some problems, and the sisters on the other floors can you stop blow drying your hair on the 6th floor after 11am, we live right at the top of the stairs and the soundproofing is terrible, it’s really loud!
October 16, 2021 at 12:01 pm
Sia: If one of the girls in the group took it, I’d really like to say that it’s really not necessary. We’ve been waiting for takeout for a long time, and we’re hungry on such a cold day, so it’s a waste of our money and we don’t have to eat, so what’s the point?
Q: I think it’s time to tell the school to put up surveillance cameras and fix the ones that are broken.
X: If I were to have my takeout taken, I’d go to the security camera and make sure he’s notorious for it.
Sia: Auntie said the security department can check the security cameras.
Q: What about the hallway?
XX: You can watch out for sneaky people around you.
Q: When do you have time to go together?
X: We’re all college students now, can’t we have some moral boundaries?
X: Lost things sister really recommend you to go to call the security camera to prevent such a bad habit.
Q: I don’t have anyone to go with.
Sia: I can do it.
What did you lose, sister?
Q: Umbrella
October 16th, 2021 at 18:42
J: Sisters buy American Express out of stock more often?
J: I’m not sure why my fruit bag came in like this.
J: It’s too human.
J: Save your life.
If It’s out of stock, you can contact the merchant.
J: I’m asking.
See If they missed it in the delivery.
J: Uh-huh.
Catcher in the Rye: Okay!
J: I just got a call that the delivery was late today, and all of them didn’t get delivered, so don’t worry if you didn’t get them.
October 23rd, 2021 23:44
W: Please 308 near the dormitory sisters can gently drag the stools?
W: Is there a renovation going on in the middle of the night?
October 28th, 2021 0:42 pm
Max🚞: Which one of you is using the hair dryer in the 1st floor corridor, can you do it earlier? Everyone’s resting at this hour.
X: Yenzi, can the admins take care of this? The dorms near the hallway outlets are tortured every day, and the sound of the hair dryer keeps them awake when they’re ready to go to bed or just fall asleep. Can you tell some of the students to stop blowing out their hair in the hallways after 11:00 a.m.? Take some measures, and think about it. Eleven o’clock is already very late. Going to bed after eleven o’clock is considered staying up late. If you don’t want to go to bed, you can’t force others to stay up late with you, can you?
Yanzi: Warm reminder: Hello students, please abide by the dormitory rules, pay attention to the arrangement of bedtime, please do not use electrical appliances in the public area after eleven thirty, and try not to affect other people’s study and rest. We hope you will sympathize with each other and strictly abide by it!
October 29, 2021 19:22
Looker💫: Sisters, yesterday afternoon my takeout was stolen, today I went to the security department to check the surveillance and found a suspicious person. The security department has the monitoring within January, everyone takeaway stolen can also go to the security department to check, together to maintain the safety of Lake 12 takeaway!
Maplewood: I had mine stolen and went to check it out, and the security department had a good attitude and was willing to cooperate.
JingJingZi: Should be a little more serious, she will restrain some, everyone, including the students should thank you, all to be talented and moral college students!
I’m so sorry.
Looker💫: Gotcha!
Looker💫: Didn’t admit it!
Looker💫: But gave me my money back... that’s ridiculous!
Looker💫: But gave me my money back, that’s ridiculous, right?
Looker💫: Looker💫: I didn’t admit it, but I was given the money back.
Piang: Eh, there’s surveillance, right?
My avatar is not a buttered hot pot: Send me a name.
Looker💫: Not so much talented and virtuous, just angry
Looker💫: Undergraduate student
Piang: ah this
My avatar is not butter hotpot: Outrageous!
My avatar is not butter hotpot: Is it broke or what?
My avatar is not butter hotpot: Eating someone else’s flavor?
Appendix II: Outline of the In-Depth Interview
The main questions of interview as follows:
1) To whom are you more likely to use impolite expressions? (consider gender, age, or social status of the person you are talking with)
2) What are your inner activities when you use impoliteness expression in talking to others?
1) 你更倾向于和谁使用不礼貌用语？(考虑对方的性别，年龄，社会地位等因素)
2) 当你使用不礼貌用语与别人讲话时，你的内心活动是怎样的？