Presidential debates, there's an app for that

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) - With only 21 days until it's time to vote in the presidential election young Americans are already doing so.

The presidential race is hitting a whole new level in the digital age for many college students.

Through a smart phone system named React Labs, political scientist Rebecca Glazier with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is getting opinions through her students.

It's a nationwide system involving students from a few select universities with already thousands of responses going into Tuesday night's debate.

It doesn't ask you any questions during the debate, but actually works in real-time and students select whether they agree, disagree, thought the question was spun differently or even avoided all-together.

This data is being used by four professors to find out what statements made by presidential candidates are most effective.

It also takes a close look at whether using an app during a political debate keeps students more engaged.

"As the data is being collected you get to see, hey you know may more students are interested in this, or maybe not all students are interested in this," said UALR student Tessie Ebenja.

"Maybe some care about the economy. Are we going to have jobs when we get out of the school, um immigrants, the different topics that this app is looking for when it comes to collecting data."

It even applies to each debates moderator. Students can select the question asker's profile and give reaction to what they're saying.

To try and weed out bias remarks, prior to giving reactions students sign-up on the app on whether they consider themselves Republican, Democrat or Independent.