( CNN ) -- As members of Congress navigate the shifting political sands of the debt-ceiling crisis , many of them are turning to a digital platform more associated with sharing personal updates and funny videos about cats : Facebook . In recent days , lawmakers have swarmed the popular social network to post videos outlining their positions , conduct opinion polls , reach new constituents and ask for feedback . `` Over the past week , our team has seen a marked increase in the number of members of Congress speaking directly to constituents through their official Facebook pages , '' said Andrew Noyes , manager of public policy communications for Facebook . The number of posts including video or radio snippets also has increased over the past week as lawmakers seek to engage their followers in new ways , Noyes added . As more members speak in front of C-SPAN 's cameras , he said , `` we fully expect to see the pace of these postings pick up . '' All of House Speaker John Boehner 's Facebook posts in the past two weeks have articulated his positions on the debt crisis . It 's not clear whether they 're nudging the needle of public opinion , but they are sparking dialogue : A message by Boehner on Monday drew more than 15,000 comments . Meanwhile , congressional Democrats have used Facebook to rally opposition to Boehner 's debt-ceiling bill . Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer , D-Maryland , posted a C-SPAN clip of his comments from the House floor , while Sen. Mark Udall , D-Colorado , asked Facebook users to sign his online petition urging Congress to adopt a `` sensible '' bipartisan solution . Observers say politicians have embraced social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter because they allow them to communicate directly with constituents without having their messages altered . `` You can convey emotion in a Facebook update or a YouTube video . It offers an authenticity , '' said Brad Fitch , president of the Congressional Management Foundation , a nonpartisan group dedicated to improving citizen engagement with Congress . `` They [ lawmakers ] are n't letting the dialogue be created by someone else . They 're creating the dialogue , '' Fitch said . `` And they are very excited about avoiding the pesky media . '' Some members of Congress are addicted to the instantaneous feedback they receive on Facebook and Twitter , Fitch said . `` Politicians long for public reaction , and they long to be loved , '' he said . Members of Congress also use Facebook and Twitter to quickly rebut published reports or opponents ' claims they disagree with . One challenge of communicating through unfiltered social media -- especially on hot-button political issues -- is that comments can degenerate into name-calling or worse . On Friday Rep. Bobby Schilling , R-Illinois , had to remind his Facebook fans that profane , threatening or inappropriate comments would be deleted . So does all this social-media messaging by Congress really influence public opinion ? Probably not , says Nick Judd , assistant editor of the Personal Democracy Forum , a website about the intersection of politics and technology . `` It seems that while the population of Americans on social media is large and growing , folks who talk politics on social media are already polarized . You could think of it a little bit like being at a large party where the political junkies are huddled up in a back corner , talking amongst themselves , '' he said . `` How much gets from that group to their apolitical friends , I do n't know -- but one prevailing theory now is that Facebook in particular makes it hard to breach that barrier . '' Judd cited a recent book , Eli Pariser 's `` The Filter Bubble , '' which argues that Facebook tends to surround users with like-minded friends and shield them from opposing views . That 's not stopping politicians from turning to the social network to get their message out . A recent survey of congressional staffers by the Congressional Management Foundation found that nearly 75 % think Facebook is `` somewhat or very important '' for communicating their members ' views , followed closely by YouTube and less so by Twitter . `` Facebook has become a critical channel for government communication , '' Noyes said . `` Politicians are only getting more creative with social media as the the debate over the debt ceiling and other crucial public-policy issues continue . ''
In recent days , people have swarmed Facebook to share their thoughts on the financial crisis . A comment this week by House Speaker John Boehner received negative comments . Facebook spokesman : ` ` Politicians are getting more creative with social media ''