What is User Interface Design

The relationship between social media and users' emotions is a prevalent research topic in computer-mediated communication. This study aims to explore the features of social media platforms that affect users' emotional self-expression and the strategies employed by users to express their emotions in text-based communication. Semi-structured interviews with ten regular users of major social media platforms, namely Facebook and Zalo, were conducted to collect data. Results showed that online network density and size, visual properties, and content display were three features that influenced users' emotional expressions. To convey their emotions on social media platforms, users employed both verbal strategies (e.g., using affect terms and verbosity) and non-verbal strategies (e.g., using punctuations and emoticons). Some participants used punctuation marks, especially question marks, and emoticons to express positive emotions, while others used verbosity to express negative feelings. Implications for using social media platforms are discussed.