Black teens and young black men taking to the streets to vandalize businesses, and verbally or physically attack white patrons and bystanders alike who may be in their path, are not the intended consequences of the “Flash Mob” concept as a marketing strategy.
The use of flash mobs became popular a few years ago as an advertising and marketing tool to gain exposure — creating and simulating a craze — for a new product or service, food, beverage, film or play, etc. Attention, shock and awe were the intended and desired effects as the fabricated mob, with all its regalia, moved down crowded streets and busy points of interest.
But with the recent incidents in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Silver Springs and Montgomery County, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, and most recently Kansas City, Missouri, the concept of flash mobs has taken on a whole new meaning.
But has it? When you get beyond the horror of the wanton looting, stealing, and indiscriminate acts of violence against innocent patrons and bystanders that occur, could this be desperate people attempting to gain attention for what they perceive are the deplorable and hopeless conditions and circumstances in which they find themselves?
One overriding question comes to mind. If the black teens and young black men had jobs or could get jobs would they really be interested in or have the time to go on a roaming, pilfering, pillaging, vandalizing, and victimizing spree?
The most recent unemployment rates reported by CNN and NPR are telling. While the national unemployment rate is lingering around 8.7 to 9.1 percent, it is over 16 percent for blacks. When you look at teens, the rate is even more shocking. Overall, teen unemployment is around 23 percent, but for black teens, it is over 40 percent.
In some of the cities where the flash mobs have recently occurred, it is even higher: over 49 percent in Washington, D.C., and nearly 48 percent in Chicago, for example.
Additionally, if black teens had access to recreational programs, safe and fun places to gather (skating rinks, bowling alleys, swimming pools, etc.) in their neighborhoods, would they really, want to go to some other part of town to create trouble and got to jail? But when you look at neighborhoods that have been plagued by decades of neglect as evident by dilapidated housing, little or no economic development, and poor quality schools, what can we really expect?
Many believe that these mobs come into being as a result of social networking, readily organizing and going on the rampage when people are the least suspecting — during leisure time and evening hours.
But the reasons go far beyond the phenomenon and easy reach of social networking. Social networking was the major vehicle that organized the demonstrations (peaceful and violent) against the oppressive and abusive regimes in Egypt, Yemeni, Bahrain, and other places. But it wasn’t the availability and prevalence of social networking media that gave birth to these gatherings.
There are more retched, oppressive conditions that are feeding and fueling the newer breed of flash mobs.
Yes, they are getting our attention. We are appalled. But are we really “anything” (fearful, fed up, caring, concerned) enough to finally do something constructive about the conditions in these breeding grounds that continually produce this delinquent, criminal, and destructive behavior?
Will it take even larger, more destructive flash mobs?