MULTIMODAL HYPE AND TRANSCULTURAL TRENDS IN DIGITAL MEDIA

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital communication, the phenomenon of “hype” has emerged as a central force shaping audience attention, emotional engagement, and cultural trends. No longer confined to traditional marketing or advertising contexts, hype now permeates social media, pop culture, and news platforms, functioning as a strategic tool in the creation and dissemination of viral content. What makes contemporary hype particularly powerful is its multimodal nature— manifested simultaneously through text, image, sound, and video—each mode amplifying its emotional and persuasive impact. These multimodal compositions do not simply aim to inform; rather, they are designed to provoke, entertain, and often overwhelm the audience—sparking virality, user participation, and mass attention. This paper investigates how hype operates as a multimodal phenomenon and explores its transcultural tendencies by analyzing examples from digital media. By focusing on its semantic, pragmatic, and interactive features, the study aims to reveal how hype is constructed, circulated, and emotionally absorbed by global audiences.