Below is an explanation of the meaning of the statement; major events often serve as a catalyst for social media conversations.
Explanation:
The above statement means that; major social events are what make social media conversation more.
A catalyst is what speeds up reaction. Our reaction here is social media conversations, the catalyst for this conversations are the major events which spark conversations.
For instance, there might be normal day to day social media conversations with just a few people taking part, but when a major event like the World Cup happen, the conversations become more frequent and involve a larger audience.