Smartmob ( English smart mob - smart crowd) - a form of self-structured social organization [ ambiguous ] through the effective use of high technology . This definition was proposed by Howard Reingold in his book The Smart Mob: A New Social Revolution ( Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution ). According to Rheingold, “smart crowds” are a consequence of the wide distribution and development of communication technologies. In 2002, the concept of “smart crowds” was highlighted in the New York Times in the “Year in Ideas” section [1] .
Smartmobs are organized via the Internet and wireless devices - mobile phones and PDAs . Information dissemination methods are similar to P2P data exchange - decentralized between individuals.
Smartmob opposes the usual crowd, behaving intellectually and rationally. Interaction through the network allows you to achieve greater social organization.
One of the reasons for the rise in popularity of smartmobs is a reduction in the cost of microprocessors, which can now be embedded in almost any object to provide wireless communications. Depending on how the technologies are used, they can be useful or hostile to society. Reinhold warned against the use of technology to create the society described in the novel “1984” by George Orwell , or by terrorists.
Smartmobs are sometimes used to the detriment of those who control the "mobing system" (that is, those who have contact information of many participants and the ability to send messages to them), and can cause inconvenience to those who for some reason became the target of a smartmob.
There is a tendency to hide such smartmobs from the public and not to discuss them on the Internet.
Early manifestations
According to CNN , the first smart mobs were organized in Tokyo and Helsinki . C using sms organized spontaneous parties and the pursuit of celebrities. For example, in Tokyo, crowds of teenage fans gathered on subway platforms, where, according to rumors, a rock star was to appear.
In the Philippines in 2001, a group of protesters, organized by text message, gathered around the church of EDSA Shrine to protest against the corruption of President Joseph Estrada . The protest was organized quickly and unexpectedly, and Estrada soon left his post [2] .
The “critical mass” , the movement of cyclists, is also compared to smartmobs due to similar organization principles. The first "critical mass" is dated 1992 [3] [4]
Contact with flash mobs
A flash mob is a specific form of a smartmob, a planned mass action in which a large group of people ( mobs ) suddenly appear in a public place, within a few minutes people with a serious air perform pre-agreed absurd actions (scenario) and then quickly disperse in different directions, as if nothing had happened. The term flashmob has now almost replaced the term smartmob in the media to designate a smart crowd , although it comes from it. [five]
Examples
Smartmobs are essentially a manifestation of the collective mind . According to Rheingold, antiglobalists ' street protests are a vivid example of smartmobs. Other examples of smartmobs:
- Anti-corruption protests in the Philippines, organized by SMS . Examples of messages: “Dress in black as a sign of mourning for democracy”, “Everything to EDSA” (EDSA is the church in the main square of Manila).
- The reaction of the Spaniards to the bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004 and the subsequent elections.
- Mass riots in France (2005) - police recorded sms messages and messages on the Internet, calling for the resumption of riots in the French capital.
- Student protests in Chile (2006) , which used blogs , online photo galleries, news sites and SMS to organize and distribute information.
- Mass riots in Chisinau (2009) - the use of "viral" sending SMS, Twitter microblogging service, which allows you to create messages via SMS and so on. [6]
Distributed Smartmobs
Smartmobs can also be organized simultaneously in several places to attract the attention of the press and the public. A striking example is the riots in France in 2005 that swept many major cities. A more global example is the World Wide Flash Mob, a geocaching- based smartmob that spans the entire planet. [7]
A vivid example of a distributed smartmob is Veloden . For self-organization, cyclists use the social network Vkontakte and cycle forums. In each district of the city, where the Veloden is held, the gathering point is determined, where the district’s column is assembled. Then all the columns of the districts gather in one place; in the finale of the short solemn part of the holiday, all together raise bicycles above their heads. Bike day 2012 was held simultaneously in 55 cities of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. [eight]
Notes
- ↑ Thompson, Clive . The Year in Ideas: Smart Mobs, New York Times (December 15, 2002).
- ↑ "Day of the smart mobs" , CNN
- D "Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest?" , Social Issues Research Center
- ↑ “Flash! Fibreculture Journal , issue 6, Mobs in the Age of Mobile Connectivity
- ↑ flash mob , WordSpy.com
- ↑ Anna Vrazhina. Dill revolution Unsolved . Lenta.ru (April 8, 2009). - The riots in Moldova through the eyes of bloggers. The appeal date is April 8, 2009. Archived March 15, 2012.
- ↑ WWFM Info Unsolved . Podcacher.com . The appeal date is March 27, 2008. Archived March 15, 2012.
- ↑ bikeday.ru Article "About Velodne"
Literature
- Reinhold G. Smart Crowd: A New Social Revolution. - M .: FAIR-PRESS, 2006. - 416 p. ISBN 5-8183-1004-3 (Russian); ISBN 0-7382-0861-2 (English)