Published date: Jul 24 2023

Journal Title: KnE Social Sciences

Issue title: Third Economic, Law, Education and Humanities International Conference (3rd ELEHIC)

Pages: 158–167

DOI: 10.18502/kss.v8i13.13752

Yusrita Yantiyusrita.yanti@bunghatta.ac.idEnglish Department of Universitas Bung Hatta, Indonesia

Elsa AriskaEnglish Department of Universitas Bung Hatta, Indonesia

This paper examines the hierarchical cultural values reflected through the directive speech acts contained in “The Social Dilemma,” an American documentary discussing the negative sides of social media that affect its users unwittingly. The data of the research are gotten from the utterances of the casts including fictional and interview sessions presenting researchers, technologists, and activists with concern for humanity. Based on a descriptive qualitative method, it is found that the cultural values of the hierarchy are presented through the directive speech acts as in types of orders, forbidding, suggesting, and requesting. Based on the findings, it is indicated that all data delivered by its speakers in direct strategy utilizing two main values known as authority and wealth. Eventually, these two values lead to two circumstances related to the role and position in the community and also the strong goal of gaining profit from the tech industry, which encompasses the advertising goal (to make money on social media through advertisements), the growth goal (to get users as many as possible), and the engagement goal (to keep people scrolling and staying). As a consequence, based on the reflection of these hierarchical values, reform in social media is highly demanded to be in line with humanism.

Keywords: Hierarchical Cultural Value, Directive Speech Acts, The Social Dilemma Documentary

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