Flash Mobs and Flash Robs... What Are We Becoming?

There's been some recent press about a phenomenon that is still somewhat new called "flash mobs." This is an assembly of people at an impromptu gathering, usually arranged by social media such as facebook, twitter and cell phone groups, as well as email. And usually it is for a purpose such as dancing, singing, or even pillow fights or water gun fights.

But recently I have read that these "flash mobs" are turning more sinister with the intention of gathering quickly for the purpose of robbing businesses, and have become known by law enforcement officials as "flash robs.". We had one here in Las Vegas last May (2011) where a group of about 30 robbed a convenience store.

Now it seems that law enforcement has got to become involved in this, along with everything else that they have to do. Usually the participants in these mobs are young people, either teenagers or young adults in their early 20's. They seem to think that it's a good idea to arrange a gathering for the purpose of stealing merchandise - basically taking anything that isn't "tied down,"and then running off with the merchandise.

Law enforcement has said that the things they go for the most are folded items on tables, sneakers, and anything they feel has value, they grab it and run. Last Spring, retailers in Chicago on the "Magnificent Mile" were affected by this. The "mob" entered stores such as Filene's basement, Armani Exchange and "The North Face" and screamed and proceeded to knock over displays and fled with jeans, sweaters, and shirts.

With the Christmas shopping season almost upon us, this is really a scary thing, and something to be watchful of before you enter ANY store or shopping mall. You have to be constantly aware of your surroundings, and if you see ANY group of people gathering, avoid going into that retail establishment.

The claim to have organized the first successful "flash mob" happened in 2003, in New York city. Then, it was organized by a guy named Bill Wasick, the editor of Harper's magazine . The mob he organized went into a Macy's department store to the rug department and claimed that they were there to shop for a "love rug" and that they lived together, and only shop as a group. Wasick said that he had created "flash mobs" simply as a social experiment to poke fun at "hipsters" and to bring attention to the culture of "conformity." This was done simply to show that they could do it. Now it seems that the idea has not only taken off, but has taken on a life of it's own.

Flash mobs like the one created by Wasick are peaceful, and there have been others as well, such as a flash mob to have a "pillow fight" in Toronto. And another one to squirt each other with water guns in Austin, Texas in July of 2011.. And there have been video's sent all over the internet, that have "gone viral" of flash mobs that gather to sing and dance (entertainment flash mobs).

When a "mob" like this has gathered for a political purpose, such as the "to save the museum" mob that occurred in Kent, that mob is usually referred to as a "smart mob" rather than a flash mob.

But sometimes these mobs are not peaceful and the worry is that things may quickly get out of hand and become violent, such as the mobs that are formed with the intent of robbing retailers.

Legal actions have occurred in some countries,, when the flash mob is formed for the purpose of violence or disruption. Germany for example, stopped flash mobs by strict enforcement of rules requiring a permit to use public spaces for events. In the UK they've been stopped because of concerns of public safety. And in the United States, they have been dispersed by police using "pepper spray," and making arrests. This was done in Philadelphia when mobs started to become violent. This "group" mentality or "mob" mentality sometimes occurs when people who would never go by themselves to rob a store feel "empowered" by the group or mob, and they feel that they are in a sense "protected" by anonymity.

I believe this will lead to the increased use of camera's and other video technology in public places, and much better surveillance. When a mob begins to form, maybe they will be able to be stopped before they do get out of control by using these methods.

What is hard to understand though is how people involved in these mobs, especially for the purpose of robbing a business can feel that it is ok to do this. What is our country becoming when things like this are happening? Is there such a feeling of "I'll never be able to afford this, so I'll just take it' or an "entitlement" mentality (I want it and am entitled to it so I'll just take it)? These are some of the questions I had when finding information about this phenomenon, and I hope that in the future, these attempts will become more difficult to carry out and eventually the popularity of this will die out.

Now what if in the future, "flash mobs" were created for GOOD causes, such as going to elderly care homes to put on entertaining shows for the people there? Or maybe to go to events such as Special Olympics events to help out? But I feel that these ideas may never even be feasible because of mistrust in our society, and not knowing why these groups have gathered.

It seems sometimes that things that are created for an innocent purpose, or even a fun, good purpose can be turned around, twisted, and used for something evil and criminal... what a shame. If only we could go back to the days of "I'd like to teach the world to sing" and "We Are The World."