In the movie Emoticon, Elena Gallenti (Livia De Paolis) is an anthropology graduate student struggling to compete her thesis on ‘modern means of communication.’ All that changes when she meets her new boyfriend’s (Michael Cristofer) teenage kids (Miles Chandler and Diane Guerrero), who are going through their own journeys of self-discovery. Through these relationships and the help of her PhD advisor (Carol Kane), Elena comes to a better understanding of how to navigate love and intimacy in the digital age.