A Study On Network Buzzwords Based On New Institutional Economics

With the growing popularity of the Internet, a new variant of the language, network language emerges as the times require. As a new type of language, it depends on the special context of cyberspace. Network buzzwords as one kind of network language,updates faster, contacts the society closer and can reflect the rules of language evolution to a certain degree, which is worthy of study.By analyzing existing researches on the network language, the author found that most studies on network language are still finished in the linguistics and communication level, with similar research angles and subjectivity to some degree, while studies in the economic area pay much attention to the economic value not the economic features of network buzzwords. In this thesis, the author starts with the economic features of network buzzwords and discusses the evolution of network buzzwords under the framework of new institutional economics by the methods of observation, literature survey, case study and induction.In this thesis,the author chooses representative Institutional Change Theory,Interest Group Theory and Transaction Cost Theory as the main analysis frameworks.From the institutional change perspective, the evolution of network buzzwords is driven by potential benefits, which results in the imbalance between present language form and the social demand. In this thesis, the author explains the evolution process of network buzzwords from supply and demand perspective and evolutionary game theory perspective, which provides a new research angle.From the interest group perspective, interest group leads the evolution of network buzzwords. Some internet users even governmental organization provide the resources for network buzzwords as first action group. At the same time, the majority of internet users as secondary action group decide the final form of network buzzwords.From the transaction cost perspective, the final goal of transaction is to maximize benefits, in other words, to minimize costs. In the analysis based on transaction-cost theory, the author starts from the process of transaction, which is regarded as the process of language change, and elaborates the main costs in the evolution. The author holds the idea that the characteristics of network buzzword itself as a potential cost have an influence on the final form of network buzzwords.In this thesis, the author uses economic method to study network buzzwords,which explores the research angle of language. In particular, analyzing the evolution of network language under the theories of new institutional economics contributes to reveal the rules of generation and evolution of network buzzwords systematically.