From “Phelps Face” to “Hijabi Zorro” to a single finger wave launching an international discussion, it’s clear that the 2016 Olympics are happening not just on the athletic fields, and certainly not just on your TV.
They’re social, with millions of tweets and Facebook posts flying around so fast that it’s easier to keep up with the Rugby hits and Volleyball spikes than the viral mentions.
“Everyone’s gonna talk about it,” says Sean Chauhan of NetBase, a Silicon Valley company that tracks online social trends. “Now, I can experience and participate with my phone and computer.”
And they are.
According to data science company 4C, Adam Peaty’s record in the 100-meter breaststroke set off more than 211,000 Twitter engagements; Ginny Thrasher of Team USA’s win in the air rifle competition got 220,000 tweets.
That’s a lot of action – all on the mobile screen.
