The Generation Yes campaign is using social networking website Facebook to make a final push for a Yes vote in Friday's referendum.
The pro-Lisbon campaign, aimed at 18 to 30 year-olds, currently has more than 4,500 "fans" on Facebook, and supporters are being encouraged to change their profile pictures to show they are voting in favour of the Lisbon treaty.
Supporters will also post reasons to vote Yes throughout the week, updating their status to reflect different reasons to agree to the treaty every hour on Thursday, between 7am and 10pm.
The campaign's new media director David Walker said young people have been able to participate in the debate on Lisbon in a new way through using the internet.
“Our Facebook and Twitter updates have allowed people to interact with politics in a medium they use daily. So far, there has been over 4,000 interactions with Generation Yes’s posts, sparking debate from both sides of the argument,” he said.
The campaign, which launched in April, has used Facebook, Twitter and its own website to provide updates on new research pieces, guest blogs, events and what they claim are lies about the treaty.
“Generation YES has shown that the idea that young people are apathetic is a myth. The thousands of 18-30 year-olds that have become involved in the Lisbon debate, either online or by canvassing and volunteering on the ground, have shown that our generation cares about Ireland’s future and is willing to give time and energy to making a difference,” said Generation Yes's executive director Andrew Byrne.
The campaign is aimed at involving younger voters in the debate through a multimedia campaign and other on-the-ground activities.
Last year, the Rock the Vote campaign tried to encourage young voters to turn out to vote in the Lisbon referendum.
