I was surprised to see a recent list of the 10 most-followed people on Twitter. While Twitter analysts have complex formulas for measuring Twitter influence by counting tweets, tweeting frequency, mentions of another’s tweet, personal responses to less famous followers, and retweets, I’m OK looking at raw numbers to ask an important question. To whom do we accord power and leadership?
If we listen to someone – and listen regularly – we cannot help but be influenced by what they think, say, do, and value. Look who’s got the ear of millions today – and millions of young people. What does all this say?
The 10 Most-Followed People on Twitter
1. Lady Gaga (7,941,444 followers)
2. Justin Bieber (7,032,265 followers)
3. Britney Spears (6,652,470 followers)
4. Barack Obama (6,531,868 followers)
5. Ashton Kutcher (6,261,483 followers)
6. Kim Kardashian (6,032,559 followers)
7. Ellen DeGeneres (5,745,455 followers)
8. Katy Perry (5,283,350 followers)
9. Taylor Swift (5,020,965 followers)
10. Oprah Winfrey (5,013,218 followers)
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Data from David Leonhardt (March 27, 2011). “A Better Way to Measure Twitter Influence.” New York Times Magazine, p. 18.