ELLIPSIS IN DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, FRIEND OR ENEMY IN EMAILS AND MESSAGES

The ellipsis has become one of the most frequently used yet controversial punctuation marks in digital communication. This article examines the role of ellipsis in emails, instant messaging, and social media, addressing whether it functions as a friend that enhances expressiveness and conversational tone or as an enemy that creates ambiguity, misunderstanding, and negative impressions. Drawing on pragmatics, computer-mediated communication (CMC) research, and generational linguistics, the study analyzes how the ellipsis is used to signal hesitation, trailing thoughts, politeness, or passive aggression. Findings reveal significant generational and contextual differences: younger users often perceive frequent ellipses as passive-aggressive or unclear, while older users employ them as natural pauses or thought separators carried over from pre-digital writing habits. The article discusses the pragmatic functions of ellipsis, its impact on professional email communication, and the potential risks of misinterpretation in cross-generational and cross-cultural exchanges. It concludes with practical recommendations for effective digital writing in academic, professional, and personal contexts.省略号（ellipsis）已成为数字通信领域中使用频次最高且最具争议的标点符号之一。本文考察了省略号在电子邮件、即时通讯与社交媒体中的应用角色，探讨其究竟是增强表达效果与会话语气的积极工具，还是引发歧义、误解与负面观感的潜在问题。本研究依托语用学、计算机中介传播（computer-mediated communication, CMC）研究及世代语言学的理论框架，分析了省略号用于传递犹豫情绪、未竟思绪、礼貌态度或被动攻击性的具体用法。研究结果显示，省略号的使用存在显著的代际与语境差异：年轻用户往往将高频使用的省略号解读为带有被动攻击性或表意模糊，而年长用户则将其视作自然停顿与思绪分隔的符号，这一习惯承袭自前数字化时代的写作传统。本文还探讨了省略号的语用功能、其对专业电子邮件沟通的影响，以及跨代际与跨文化交流中可能出现的误解风险，并最终针对学术、职场与个人场景下的高效数字化写作给出了实操性建议。