Final answer:
Emojis are an essential part of online communication, providing meta-commentary and emotional nuance similar to that in face-to-face interactions. They allow for a unique language subset and contribute to storytelling in the digital age.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emojis serve as a form of meta-commentary and play an essential role in online communicative efforts to mirror the nuances typically found in face-to-face interactions. The transformation of the meaning of emojis among younger generations is an ongoing process, forming a language subset that sets them apart from older demographics. The influence of emojis extends to the ways we tell stories, express emotion, and create a shared understanding within online communities. Emojis and other forms of multimodal communication, such as memes, contribute significantly to the richness of the digital interaction by providing additional context and emotional subtext that would otherwise be difficult to convey through text alone.