A Comparative Linguo-Pragmatic Analysis of the 'Clickbait' Phenomenon in Chinese and Uzbek Digital Media

Abstrak

This scientific article provides a comparative linguo-pragmatic analysis of the clickbait phenomenon widely used in Chinese and Uzbek digital media. The study aims to identify and compare the linguistic and pragmatic strategies employed in clickbait headlines across Chinese and Uzbek online news platforms and social media. The research applies a qualitative comparative method using linguo-pragmatic and discourse analysis. Data were collected from clickbait headlines published in Chinese and Uzbek digital media and analyzed based on their lexical features, emotional-expressive units, hidden meanings, pragmatic functions, and psychological influence on audiences. The study examines the methods used in Chinese and Uzbek online publications and social media headlines to attract audience attention, including emotional-expressive units and pragmatic influence strategies. The linguistic structure, lexical devices, hidden meanings, and psychological effects of clickbait headlines are analyzed through examples. The results of the study show that Chinese and Uzbek digital media share both similar and distinctive clickbait strategies that strongly influence audience behavior in digital communication.