Profile propaganda and the changing face of self-presentation on social network sites: a review

Propaganda, a term commonly associated with political or marketing communications, is a selective presentation of information with the intent to manipulate opinions (Jowett & O'Donnell, 1999), and as traditional concepts of communication and behaviours are evolving on social media it is now also associated with individual self-presentation on social network sites. Introduced as ‘propaganda narratives’ in relation to selfies (Eagar & Dann, 2016), it was established that propaganda techniques are used by everyday individuals as a form of self-promotion. However, selfies form only a small part (if any) of some user’s profiles and the question whether propaganda use extends to the rich body of personal information known as a ‘profile’ needs to be answered. By reviewing extant literature this article identifies shifting behaviours of self-presentation, defined as ‘profile propaganda’, offers insights into the context of the behavioural shifts, and provides a foundation for understanding the future implications, particularly in relation to communications and relationship formation.