Politicians around the country are increasing their use of social media to engage constituents in a new and personal way.

On Jan. 30, President Barack Obama participated in a Google Plus “Hangout.” In the live video chat, Obama answered questions submitted through YouTube videos and interacted with five other people, Politico reported. The event came as a follow-up to his State of the Union address.

Obama is no stranger to social media. In 2011, he used sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to communicate with people and answer questions.

The president’s use of social media reflects a growing trend among politicians — as it becomes more prevalent and mainstream in U.S. culture, politicians are hoping to take advantage.

From the mayors of both Minneapolis and St. Paul to the 60-plus state legislators on Twitter, Minnesota politicians have found a new way to connect with constituents.

“[Politicians] are using social media for fundraising and organization tools for events, in addition to pushing out campaign messages,” said Heather LaMarre, an assistant professor in the U. Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication who specializes in social media and politics.

Many people are excited about the potential social media has in connecting voters and students to their representatives. However, LaMarre said that in local politics, social media can be “counterintuitive.”

“You think social media levels the playing field and gives an advantage to the underdog who has less resources,” she said, but a campaign needs “human capital” to keep the profiles up to date.

“The advantage goes to the candidate again who, unfortunately, is well-funded,” she said.

LaMarre said she believes social media can serve as a gateway to political involvement for some college students, but at the end of the day, they still need some political interest in order to follow political news.

“For those who have a minimum level of interest or who start paying attention to it, I think it definitely has the power to energize young people,” she said. “But it doesn’t necessarily bring new people in, because why would you fan a political page instead of a sports page or entertainment page?”

Despite its limitations, LaMarre does believe that interactive media in the digital age will be a “game-changer.”

“It’s not just social media. It’s sort of the fusion of all of the kinds of interactive media,” she said.

“Voters are changing the game because they are getting actively involved,” she said. “The power is shifting from elite to the public again.”