The concept of flash mobs involves gathering a large number of people at a specific location and time to perform a brief collective action, such as lying down on the ground, shouting together, opening an umbrella, holding a book, or moving in unison. This practice, exemplified by the flash mob phenomenon, reflects the desire to mobilize crowds to support a specific cause, idea, or action, known as “crowd clout.”
The participants, most of whom are strangers to one another, are informed of the event through various online communication channels such as email, instant messaging, social media, or SMS/MMS messages. Instructions for the action are usually sent a few minutes before the event begins. Once the ephemeral action is completed, the group disperses spontaneously.
The first short, localized flash mob events took place in the United States in 2003, representing a form of event-based communication. Sometimes, the term “Smart mob” (intelligent mobilization) is also used, introduced by Howard Rheingold in his book “Smart Mobs – The Next Social Revolution”. A variant of this phenomenon, called “Frozen mobing” or “Freeze frame mobing”, involves participants remaining motionless and silent for the duration of the event.
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