“Let’s Chat!” Forms and Functions of Phatic Expressions in Young Iraqis’ Messenger Chat Interactions

الملخص

While social media messaging platforms serve to exchange information, they are also used to maintain communication and create social connection. This study explores the forms and functions of phatic expressions used by young male and female Iraqi Arabic interlocutors in Facebook Messenger-mediated text chat interactions. Besides, it aims at examining similarities and differences between the two genders’ use of phatic expressions, and the type and frequency of their reference. The data involved 57 chats collected through documentation and snowball sampling technique from 46 participants. Drawing on Laver’s (1975) theory on this phenomenon, the study uses a descriptive qualitative approach. The study concludes that the participants employ various forms and functions in different interactional phases (opening, medial, closing) with the dominating use of the other-oriented phatic expressions. It also concludes that there are more similarities than differences between the two genders’ use of phatic expressions.