Abstract:
This study deals with semiotic interpretation of emoticon used by followers on
instagram. It was aimed to describe factors that did affected followers to use
emoticon on Instagram, and to elaborate the reasons why emoticon realized by
followers on Instagram. This study was conducted by using descriptive qualitative
research. The sources of data were taken from caption on instagram during
December 2017 made by followers on instagram. The result showed that there
were two factors that affected followers of the instagram to use emoticons in their
caption, they are physiological arousal which was found 21 emoticons, and for
cognitive label which was found 84 emoticon. So, in total there were 105 captions
using emoticons found in followers instagram. Related to the reason of the caption
of the followers on instagram to use emoticon, based on the interview they used
the emoticon because they wanted to deliver their feeling, moody, expression
without considering the functions of emoticon in their caption. Moreover, most of
followers used emoticon based on what they want without considering context.
Even sometimes, they used emoticon depends on situation or context what they
felt at the time
