We all know how expansive social media has become. But just how impressive is that reach?

Come late July, the most celebrated of all international events – sporting or otherwise- will serve as the backdrop for the most frenzied activity of one of our newest social institutions.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London, England are poised to be the setting of many record-breaking events. What remains to be seen is if those events actually happen during the athletic events.

One Associated Press article points out one of the main reasons we will see a massive jump in action. “At the last Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, Twitter had about 6 million users and Facebook 100 million. Today, the figure is 140 million for Twitter and 900 million for Facebook.”

London is also going to be the perfect storm of new media. “In Sydney (2000) there was hardly any fast Internet, in Athens (2004) there were hardly any smartphones, in Beijing hardly anyone had social networks,” Jackie-Brock Doyle, communications director of London organizing committee LOCOG, told Business Week. “That’s all changed. Here, everyone has all that and will be consuming the games in a different way.”

The Olympiad, with all of its grandeur and spectacle, is the perfect breeding ground for easily shared content. There are a few simple ground rules being laid by the International Olympic Committee restricting video showing and advertising, but otherwise these games will be overflowing with pictures, Tweets, posts and more.

Keep an eye on hashtags coming from corporate sponsors and the television broadcast. These giant companies are fully aware of the importance of social media engagement, and they are investing some serious resources into it.

We can’t be sure what event will be the one to shatter social media records. American swimming giants Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte going head to head in the pool? Sprinting stars Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay in a photo finish?

No matter what it is, it’ll be hard to miss.

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