In youth this concept has long been known, although there are only a dozen years.But the older generation do not always understand what, in fact, is at stake.So Flashmob - what is it?
little history
«Flash mob» - an English word, or rather, a combination of words: «flash» - «lightning flash, a moment" and «mob» - «a group of people, the company, the crowd."In fact, for the first time to combine these two concepts - "instant" and "crowd" - American science fiction writer Larry Niven, created in the 70 years of the twentieth century, the story of a cheap teleportation in the future.However, he sounded like the term «flash crowd».
In 2002 he published a book of the American sociologist Howard Rheingold, who predicted that in the XXI century, people will unite for mass actions, using the growing potential of information technology.Such structured, culturally behave groups are called «smart mob» - «smart crowd."But what about the flash mob?
What is it?
Today, those terms are understood under the mass action, which involves a group of people, often strangers to each other.They gather at the appointed place, behave in a certain manner for a predetermined period of time and then quickly (instantly) diverge as if dissolving in the crowd, as if nothing had happened.
Organization of flash-mobs carried out through electronic means, such as cell phones or the Internet.Participants called mobbers, post news about the place, time and subject of the upcoming event in blogs, social networking pages, or a specially created website.Sometimes used as e-mailing or SMS-message.
Pioneers
official date of birth is considered to be a flash mob June 17, 2003.That same day, about a hundred people gathered near the road carpet in the biggest department store in the world - New York «Macy's» - and told the seller that you live a commune on the outskirts of the metropolis, in stock and want to buy "carpet of love."
success of the project was so high that it is like a tsunami swept across America, Europe and other continents.Mobbers applauded for 15 seconds in the lobby of the hotel «Hyatt», presented by tourists in a shoe shop in Soho.The organizer of the first American shares was the chief editor of «Harper's» Bill Uozik.He thought they were funny action, mocking clubbers.However, the flash mob began its triumphal march across the planet.
first European event on July 24 of that year in Rome.Three hundred people gathered in a bookstore, requiring the sellers of the book with the names of non-existent.August 16, 2003 held its first flash mobs in Russia and Ukraine.
Predecessors
But is it really a new phenomenon - a flashmob?What is it - a sign of XXI century, or well-forgotten old?Experts believe that similar actions took place in the past: the organized group of people went on the subway without pants, gathered from across the country for cycling, instantly "freezes" at the New York station, frozen in various poses.However, only today Flashmob became a truly mass action.For example, in one of the shares in Chicago in 2009 was attended by over 20 thousand people.Today, developed the terminology and rules of the movement, its name is firmly lodged in academic journals, dictionaries and the media.
purpose of
purpose of each share depends on its type.They are usually organized for the participants of spontaneous fun and bewilderment of passers-by, people massively dance, sing, go to the floor of supermarkets, dress up in costumes mods, hugging passers engage in pillow fights, freeze, staring at the sky, launching Chinese lanterns.But some of the shares held political or commercial purposes.
best flash mobs - is absurd, mysterious look spontaneous, casual viewers lead to confusion and even shock.Look at the wonderful film "Step Up 4".It is not just a great mass dances.The picture shows you the real flashmob: what it is, how to organize and what implications it may have.
