Mr Obama's 502,000 followers received an eagerly-awaited update on Wednesday – but those hoping for an insight into his personal life were left disappointed, as the focus was on the gloomy economic climate.

"Question about the economy? Ask President Obama", the post read. It included a link to the White House website , which features a new video message from the US 'Commander In Chief'.


"One of my priorities as President is opening up the White House to the American people, so that folks can understand what we're up to, and participate themselves", he said.

"We're going to take advantage of the internet and bring all of you to the Whitehouse to talk about the economy. Anyone can submit a question about the economy, or vote on other questions. On Thursday I will be giving you some answers myself."

Admitting that he and the public "may not always agree on everything", the President promised to give the electorate "some straight answers" and address their concerns.

A host of famous figures use Twitter to communicate with their supporters.

Lily Allen, Stephen Fry, William Shatner, David Lynch, Jordan and Mariah Carey are all devotees of the social messaging utility, which enables users to post real-time updates on the minutiae of their lives.