This is a paper that demonstrates how phatic communion works in both face-to-face and online communications. Communication is the act of transferring information from the speaker(s) to the hearer(s). Phatic communion is a type of communication that occurs in social interactions. In many communicative situations, speakers intend to convey information, but in some situations, it is not necessary that information needs to be conveyed. Interactants speak in many social interactions for a variety of reasons, including keeping others silent, maintaining a social relationship, and demonstrating friendliness, to mention a few. This is when phatic communion comes into play. Phatic referred to language used to create an atmosphere or maintain social contact rather than exchanging ideas and information. Nowadays, the internet has increasingly gained an important role in society; thus, communication does not only take place face-to-face, but online communication has become popular, especially among younger generations. A lot of online platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, emerged to respond to the demand. Instead of only verbal language as in face-to-face communication, phatic communion expands its role into online interactions with this newly emerging communication method such as emoticons, stickers, and GIFs, to name a few. This article discussed what phatic communion is and how it works in both face-to-face and online communications. In addition, the article provides illustrative examples of phatic communion to aid the reader's comprehension. The methodology used in the study was observation in real-world settings and online platforms.

Authors:
Benjawan Tipprachaban, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Thailand
Chittraporn Chutong, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Benjawan Tipprachaban is a University Postdoctoral Fellow or Instructor at Suratthani Rajabhat University in Thailand

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