The rise of social media, coupled with the profusion of other sources of information and entertainment, has greatly expanded the universe of those who influence our daily lives — what we watch, buy, listen to, and read.

Prior to the explosion of social and online media, those who left their mark on our culture were mostly limited to politicians, businessmen, and motion picture stars. The mediums through which they exerted their influence were print media, radio, and broadcast television.

Because of 24-hour television and social media, prominent figures in entertainment, education, art, sports, politics, and fashion, as well as bloggers and online celebrities, have a dizzying number of platforms to voice their opinions and influence the national dialogue on issues.

If nothing else, the various communication options have democratized the dissemination of opinions and the power to influence.

As the new year unfolds, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 20 influential people to watch in 2019.

Click here to see the 20 influential people to watch in 2019.

Methodology

24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the 20 influential people to watch in 2019 based on the number of Wikipedia page views they received, their achievements, and their notoriety. Some of the people on our list appeared on other lists of influential people last year. 24/7 Wall St. based its list on what these people achieved last year and are poised to accomplish in 2019.

Source: Paul Morigi / Getty Images 1. Michelle Obama

> Role: Former first lady Former First Lady Michelle Obama left the White House about two years ago, but she continues to exert influence. Her memoir “Becoming” sold 3 million copies by early December and was the best-selling book in the United States in 2018, according to NPD Bookscan. She was also selected as the most admired woman in the United States in a Gallup poll released last year.

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images 2. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez

> Role: Legislator With her surprise win over a seasoned New York Democrat incumbent in the congressional primary, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez has become a household name in politics overnight. Notable both for her age — at 29, she is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress — her Democratic Socialist politics, and her candor, the sky appears to be the limit for Ocasio-Cortez.

Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images 3. Lebron James

> Role: Basketball player “King James,” who has won NBA titles with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, has decamped to the Los Angeles Lakers with ambitions of winning a championship on the West Coast. Off the court, he has extended his influence in the entertainment industry as co-owner of production company SpringHill Entertainment. He also started a school in his hometown of Akron, OH.

Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images 4. Bill Gates

> Role: Philanthropist Helping to found Microsoft would have been more than enough to place Bill Gates on a list of influential people. However, Gates has endeavored to make a difference in the philanthropic world, as he and wife Melinda created a foundation that aims to improve lives and lift people out of poverty.

Source: Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images 5. Rihanna

> Role: Singer Barbados-born singer Rihanna continues to be one of the most influential pop idols in the world. In addition to her widespread musical success, the singer has been able to leverage her popularity into business, launching highly successful cosmetics and lingerie brands.

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images 6. Rami Malek

> Role: Actor Rami Malek has extended his acclaim from television, where he won an Emmy award as lead actor in the psychological drama “Mr. Robot,” into motion pictures where he enthralled audiences as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

Source: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images 7. Michael B. Jordan

> Role: Actor The charismatic actor Michael B. Jordan has already found widespread success, just past the age of 30. Jordan has had highly acclaimed roles as the title character in the “Rocky” spinoff “Creed” and “Creed II,” and arguably stole the show as the antagonist Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther.”

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images 8. Greta Gerwig

> Role: Actress/director Actress-turned director Greta Gerwig first found success as an actress in critically-acclaimed films such as “Frances Ha.” But Gerwig’s smash hit directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” made major waves in an industry dominated by male directors. Gerwig was nominated for Oscars for her screenplay and directing.

Source: Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images 9. Lady Gaga

> Role: Singer/actress Lady Gaga, star of the remake of “A Star is Born” and one of the greatest singers of her generation, is very active on social media, boasting more than 77 million followers on Twitter.

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images 10. Jeff Bezos

> Role: CEO Jeff Bezos has disrupted the retail industry by founding e-commerce company Amazon. But he is also making his presence felt in media. In 2013 he purchased the well-respected Washington Post, which is now boosting its coverage of the technology sector.

Source: Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images 11. Barack Obama

> Role: Former president Former President Barack Obama has mostly adhered to the custom of not publicly criticizing the current occupant of the White House, but he is not averse to expressing his opinion online or to the traditional media. Obama was selected the most admired man for the 11th year in a row in a Gallup poll.

Source: Rachel Murray / Getty Images 12. Post Malone

> Role: Rapper/actor Rapper Post Malone has had a string of hits. His 2018 album “beerbongs & bentleys” has several tracks with more than 200 million streams each on Spotify, including “rockstar,” which has close to 1.4 billion streams.

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images 13. Nancy Pelosi

> Role: House speaker After a nearly nine-year hiatus,Nancy Pelosi is back as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Directing a new and diverse generation of Democratic legislators, she is once again the most powerful woman in American politics.

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Images 14. Oprah Winfrey

> Role: Businesswoman/talk show host Oprah Winfrey has held considerable influence since hosting a successful television talk show. The actress, film producer, philanthropist, and activist was an unabashed supporter of Barack Obama when he ran for president. She may have presidential ambitions herself in 2020.

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images 15. Donald Glover

> Role: Actor, comedian, singer, writer Donald Glover, the ever evolving performer, has found much success throughout his career. It seems there is nothing he cannot do. In just over a decade, Glover has achieved fame as a YouTube sketch comedy star, a writer on “30 Rock,” a sitcom actor, a stand-up comedian, a wildly successful hip hop artist, and the writer and creator of his own critically and commercially-successful television show.

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images 16. Ariana Grande

> Role: Singer The pop star survived some difficult times of late in the spotlight, including a bomb attack at her concert in the U.K. in 2017, as well as highly publicized, ill-fated relationships with the now-deceased Mac Miller and SNL star Pete Davidson. Grande appears to have come out stronger, releasing the wildly successful album “Sweetener.”

Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images 17. BTS

> Role: Korean pop act Korean pop music, or K-pop, is becoming ever more popular by the day. And the seven-member boy band BTS is leading the way for the genre’s breakthrough in the West.

Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images 18. Elon Musk

> Role: CEO of Tesla Elon Musk’s work as a visionary entrepreneur and engineer has made him one of the world’s most admired billionaires. Musk, a zealous user of Twitter, leads rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX and electric car and energy company Tesla, which is now among the 10 biggest car companies in the world.

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images 19. Donald Trump

> Role: President President Donald Trump remains one of the most influential people on Earth. In addition to wielding his power as the nation’s commander in chief, he holds court with his 57 million Twitter followers.