The incident was debated both online and in-person, and the amplification ability of social media created a wider set of stake-holders in its outcome. Conflicts like these are dramatized as they play out in public, and serve as entertainment for the audience. Further, while audience involvement can be seen as promoting accountability, social media also amplifies the amount of drama and conflict as other people besides the original two players become involved in the argument, chiming in much as gossip blog readers weigh in on the latest celebrity divorce or feud.

Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, loc. 593