But will the people who pontificate online actually pay up, or will they stick to being so-called “slacktivists”? Mimi Ito, a cultural anthropologist at the University of California, Irvine, defines “slacktivism” as “the sense that if you just like something or share something [on social media] you’re contributing, but not really making a big difference.”

She says user engagement can be specific in nature to a particular platform, so people who actively tweet about a candidate or campaign may not be as willing to use to platform to turn over cash.

“So I think this is an interesting play to see if people will put their money where their mouth is,” Ito says.

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