A substitute for gestural communication over the Internet is the use of:

A substitute for gestural communication over the internet is the use of emoticons.

Emoticons stand in for facial expressions and bodily gestures that text alone cannot convey.

Infographics present data and information visually and do not replace personal gesture.

Photographs capture images of reality and are not the online equivalent of gestures.

Anonymous attachments are unnamed files and have no role in conveying gesture or expression.

Emoticons thus supply the non-verbal, gestural cues missing from plain text exchange.

They form part of the paralanguage of online, computer-mediated communication.