US presidential candidate Sanders tops Clinton in social mentions: Yik Yak

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won a bigger share of the social conversation among millennials in New Hampshire than his rival Hillary Clinton ahead of Tuesday`s primary, according to Yik Yak, an app that has mostly younger users.

On the Republican side, real estate tycoon Donald Trump received 61.3 percent of mentions over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who brought in 12.4 percent.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, was the most discussed candidate, capturing 55.3 percent of mentions in yaks, or anonymous posts made by users, in New Hampshire, compared to Clinton`s 44.7 percent, the location-based app said. The data was measured between Tuesday`s Iowa caucus and Monday before voting began on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary.

Sanders also received a 21.8 percent approval rating on Yik Yak, compared to Clinton`s 7.4 percent.

While social media buzz does not necessarily translate into votes, it can be a good indication of the interest level surrounding a candidate. Sanders also had a strong performance on social media during the Iowa caucuses, where he pushed Clinton to a virtual tie.

Last weekend, many posts from millennials on social media site Twitter focussed on contentious comments made by two of Clinton`s supporters.

Leading feminist Gloria Steinem suggested in an interview with talk show host Bill Maher on Friday that young women were backing Sanders just to meet men.

"When you`re young, you`re thinking, `Where are the boys?` The boys are with Bernie," Steinem said.

The incident was followed on Saturday with controversial remarks from Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state, at a Clinton rally in New Hampshire. Albright said she wanted to remind young women the fight for equality is not over and "there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other!"

The comments angered many users on Twitter, who condemned both statements.

Anne Cicon (@annecicon) tweeted on Tuesday: "@GloriaSteinem I thought being a feminist was about making our own choices. So are you supporting Hillary because you want to be around women?"

"Nothing saddens me more than Gloria Steinem & Madeline Albright shaming young women for supporting Bernie & not Hillary," tweeted Myranda Bahr (@myr2k13).

Steinem apologized in a Facebook post on Sunday. "I misspoke on the Bill Maher show recently, and apologise for what`s been misinterpreted as implying young women aren`t serious in their politics," she said.