All the Digital World Is Their Stage

Hello! Tracks Some of the Most Followed, Most Loved and Most Controversial Political Leaders Across the Globe in the Virtual World
 

- Sanghita Singh

Days before the Obamas were to officially vacate the White House at the end of Barack Obama’s tenure as the President of the USA, the virtual world was whirring with pictures of the former POTUS and FLOTUS that were being shared by all alike – from celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres to the ordinary folks in America and worldwide, it was the Obamas’ ubiquitous presence that could be felt across the board. The outpour of love and affection for the Obamas could be felt in the infinitesimal number of times that their pictures were shared on social media – on Facebook, Instagram as well as Twitter. From their pets to their daughters and farewell speeches made by the couple, everyone got a bit of the Obama flavour whenever they logged in to their social media feed. In fact, with a following of 84.5 million on Twitter, Barack Obama remains one of the most popular leaders in world politics!

While in the earlier days, one relied on polls conducted by global magazines to determine the most powerful leaders of the world, now political successes are often defined by how hot or ‘trending’ a leader is, on social media.