Abstract

This study aims to explain the development of research on politicians and social media from 2013 to 2023 indexed by Scopus. The study uses the scoping review method, which adopts a bibliometric analysis approach. It found that the study of social media as a platform for politicians in the last decade has experienced a significant growth in the number of publications in Scopus-indexed journals. Furthermore, the European continent contributes significantly to this study, as reflected in the top five affiliations that have a number of publications and documents cited by other studies originating from European countries. Nor can the study of politicians and social media be separated from the discussion of political communication. Politicians use social media as a means and a facility for political communication with many people. Moreover, the top three social media that politicians use are Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Interestingly, there has been a recent trend for Instagram to be used by politicians. This is a new form of personalization through which visuals of politicians are displayed. Instagram is used to display the content of politicians’ arguments and ideas and to frame politicians’ personal lives so that people feel close to them.