Exciting news in the social media world: now, when Instagram fans scroll through their picture feeds they just may see a post from First Lady Michelle Obama.
Social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are powerful tools of the modern technology age that can help people stay in touch, form connections, and share news with the world. Michelle Obama has become Instagram’s latest celebrity member, posting for the first time from Senegal on June 27th.
Her first Instagram post was a picture of her with a group of women in Senegal with the caption, “My first instagram! So inspired and so impressed by these extraordinary young women. -mo #FLOTUSinAfrica.” Since that first post, the First Lady has posted 14 photos and gained nearly 300,000 followers.
By joining a social media site that is popular amongst all ages, Michelle Obama has shown both an acceptance of the technology age and recognition of social media as a powerful advocacy tool. Non-profit organizations and influential businesses are increasingly using websites like Instagram to spread the word about their cause and garner support.
Using Instagram to spread the news of the Obamas’ trip to Africa provides the world with a different view of the family’s noteworthy trip, and a more personal story that is not told on popular news channels.
Moreover, Michelle Obama has taken to signing her posts with an intimate “-mo” that makes the Instagram account seem more like a personal blog than a professional tool. Mrs. Obama’s account gives political photos a unique angle that reminds the world that, at their core, the Obamas are just a family.
Check out Michelle Obama’s Instagram account to keep updated on the family’s travels, get a refreshing break from the 24 hour news cycle’s repetitive reporting, or to feel a little more important knowing that you are somehow connected to Michelle Obama, even if only by a social media site.
– Alexandra Bruschi