<![CDATA[Digital communication increasingly expands the ways in which people express emotions, build relationships, and produce meaning through emojis and memes. This phenomenon is important to examine not only as a development in communication technology but also as a philosophical issue concerning how meaning is formed and whether changes in the medium of communication also alter the nature of language. This study aims to understand users’ experiences and meaning-making processes regarding emojis and memes and to reflect on their implications for the concept of language from the perspective of Ludwig Wittgenstein. The study employs a qualitative approach with an interpretative phenomenological orientation and thematic analysis. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews and observations of digital communication practices involving [number] participants who had active experience using emojis and memes in everyday interactions. The analysis generated four main themes, namely meaning that shifts according to context, emojis and memes as social actions, the importance of shared knowledge in constructing understanding, and the tension between visual expression and verbal language. The findings indicate that participants did not experience emojis and memes as simple substitutes for language, but rather as meaning-making resources that operate contextually, relationally, and multimodally. From the perspective of language games, meaning is not permanently attached to signs but is formed through their use in particular practices of life. Theoretically, this study extends the application of the philosophy of language to the phenomenon of digital communication, practically, it emphasizes the importance of digital literacy that encompasses the ability to read contexts, understand ambiguity, and negotiate meaning in multimodal communication.]]>
