During the last World Cup in 2014, Twitter found a universal rhythm of social media during penalty kicks. As a player sets the ball, the rate of tweets slows, and decelerates further when the referee blows the whistle. By the time the shooter begins the approach, there is a quiet vacuum on the site. Then the result of the kick ignites an explosion of reactions across the world’s timelines.
At this summer’s World Cup, Twitter analyzed the cadence of tweets in more granular detail than the penalty kick study. The company confirmed that fans reach for their devices after goals and at pauses in the action—and even found hints of the differences between fans of different countries.