In recent weeks, so-called flash mobs have taken a criminal turn in several states, flooding stores with young people who overwhelm the businesses, then help themselves to the merchandise.
There’s definitely a troubling mob mentality behind the crimes orchestrated by cell phones and social networking.
The flash mob robberies and attacks have occurred in Washington DC , Chicago, Maryland and Philadelphia.
In San Francisco, controversy heats up because there’s talk of blocking cell phone usage in the subways because of disruptive flash mob protests in the wake of a controversial fatal shooting by transit police.
Many here in Richmond wonder if the unruly crowds that have ruined the First Fridays Art Walk are using texts and other social networking to gather, perhaps even to orchestrate fights.
It’s all a far cry from the early days of flash mobs, a craze that began 8 years ago. The mobs typically gathered in good fun, goofing on those around them with dance routines, songs or simply freezing in place.
The National Retail Federation has now included criminal flash mobs in its warning to retailers about things they should be on the lookout for in their stores. But, so far, these mobs are a small part of the so-called multiple offender crimes that afflict a majority of retailers, since teamwork is common in theft and robbery.
There’s certainly nothing new about disruptive behavior organized by social media. For almost 20 years, for example, masses gatherings of bicyclists have been blocking traffic in hundreds of cities around the world – including Richmond – to make a statement about our destructive addiction to motor vehicles.
And there’s absolutely nothing new about using communication to organize violence and crime.
And the same communication technology that makes disruptive flash mobs possible also makes it more likely those participating will have their images captured and disseminated.
If you think about it, cell phones, Facebook and Twitter are just the modern equivalents of the pamphlets our forefathers used to launch the revolution.
It’s just new. Get used to it!
