Search results for "online persona"

'I Show Off, Therefore I Am': The Politics of the Selfie

2016

International audience; Named word of the year by the OED in 2013, the “selfie” is a worldwide phenomenon. Many see these digital self-portraits as markers for the spread of narcissism or signs of the blurring of limits between the public and private spheres. Initially popular with young people, selfies were soon adopted by politicians who, in a mediatized society, are eager to adhere to new vogues and use digital trends to self-promote. Like “digital natives”, they attempt to go viral by turning their cellphones on themselves and tweeting. Contrary to more formal images (official portraits, campaign posters) where politicians are clearly packaged and marketed, self-snapped photos taken on …