Social Media Politicians

There has been a large shift in how Americans get news and information. More people are looking to the Internet, and more specifically social media, to gather information. These changes have also changed how politicians recruit, advertise, and connect with their audiences.

It is generally accepted that 2008 marked the beginning of social media elections. People started going to social media more and more to connect with family, friends, and even politicians. As such, politicians changed how they connected with the public. In 2008, Obama 112,475 Twitter followers which grew to 19,917,434 in 2012.

Using social media has become a very widely used form of advertisement and promotion. If a politician doesn't have a social media presences, they are at a severe disadvantage. Although not all politicians write the actual content on their social media sites, they still have accounts and information is posted for them.

This inforgraphic provides more information on how social media has changed with respect to politicians and political elections.

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   I think social media will only continue to grow and have a bigger impact on politics and how people perceive and learn about politicians.