▁follow ▁like - mind ed ▁individuals , ▁as ▁noted ▁by ▁Philip ▁P ond ▁and ▁Jeff ▁Lewis . ▁Online ▁media ▁audience ▁members ▁are ▁largely ▁pass ive ▁consum ers , ▁while ▁content ▁creation ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁users ▁who ▁post ▁comments ▁and ▁write ▁new ▁content . ▁ ▁Young er ▁gener ations ▁are ▁becoming ▁more ▁involved ▁in ▁politics ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁increase ▁of ▁political ▁news ▁posted ▁on ▁social ▁media . ▁Political ▁campaign s ▁are ▁target ing ▁Mill enn ial s ▁online ▁via ▁social ▁media ▁posts ▁in ▁hope ▁that ▁they ▁will ▁increase ▁their ▁political ▁eng agement . ▁Social ▁media ▁was ▁influ ential ▁in ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁attention ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁out break s ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁during ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁During ▁the ▁Tun is ian ▁revolution ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁people ▁used ▁Facebook ▁to ▁organ ize ▁meet ings ▁and ▁protest s . ▁However , ▁there ▁is ▁debate ▁about ▁the ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁social ▁media ▁facil itated ▁this ▁kind ▁of ▁political ▁change . ▁ ▁Social ▁Media ▁foot print s ▁of ▁candidates ▁have ▁grown ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁de cade ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁United ▁States ▁President ial ▁election ▁provides ▁a ▁good ▁example . ▁D oun ou cos ▁et ▁al . ▁noted ▁that ▁Twitter ▁use ▁by ▁the ▁candidates ▁was ▁un pre ced ented ▁during ▁that ▁election ▁cycle . ▁Most ▁candidates ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁have ▁a ▁Twitter ▁account . ▁The ▁public ▁has ▁also ▁increased ▁their ▁reli ance ▁on ▁social