tdink techie: flash mobs
Art, Activism or Annoyance?

Although flash mobs can be used for political purposes, they can also be used for fun.   Some mobbers participate in flash mobs purely for social reasons.   The people participating in flash mobs are ones that would not normally participate in protests or street performance.

  Flash mobs allow a generation of techno-savvy youth to come together socially in a face-to-face environment they normally would not get online.   They are using the internet to make virtual reality come to life. "Bill" told CNN, "I personally like it because it is aesthetic - I love seeing all the people come together, seemingly out of nowhere."   

Almost two years since the first flash mob there are now numerous sites, such as www.flashmob.com and www.xflashmobs.com, dedicated to the organization of flash mobs occuring all over the world.   The first European flash mob occurred in Rome just one month after the Manhattan Macy's event.   Businesses are trying to learn from it, but flash mobs only exist because of its spontaneity and the people who are involved.   In the end, those ten minutes display that power does belong to the people.