Flash Mob Hits Philadelphia
A flash mob is defined as a gathering of people (most of whom may not know each other) at a particular place. The assembled group then performs pointless acts that are designed to grab your attention and create publicity. The concept of a flash mob has been around for a while. Flash mobs have gathered and indulged in pillow fights in
Toronto, traveled without pants in the New York subway and walked shirtless in stores like Abercrombie and Fitch. Flash mobs are not just a North American phenomenon. It is fairly common in Europe as well.
A few years ago organizing a flash mob would have been very difficult. It would take a lot of time and effort to organize a gathering of hundreds of people at a particular location without the knowledge of law enforcement. But social networking sites have made this very easy. Today sites like Twitter, Facebook and also text messages are easy and quick ways to organize large groups of people.
In the last couple of months Philadelphia has been hit by flash mobs of a different variety. Large numbers of teenagers and kids have suddenly gathered in shopping centers like the Macy’s in Center City and also in crowded areas like South Street and damaged and looted store property and property of innocent bystanders. There are even reports of people who were injured during the attack. The mob then quickly disperses before police arrives. Many local area residents are beginning to worry about safety in public places.
The city of Philadelphia is almost financially bankrupt and does not have the resources to fight crimes of this nature. The police force is already facing layoffs and the city cannot afford to pay police offers overtime for long periods of time. Such activities also forces law enforcement to shift their focus from solving serious crimes like murder and rape and instead focus on protecting civilians from unruly and irresponsible teenagers.
I have seen my fair share of riots and bandhs (strike) in India. These days they are conducted at the behest of political parties and other organizations. In most cases the public has advanced notice and knows what to do and the areas to avoid. But so far Asian cities have not been affected by things like flash mobs. Is this because there is a cultural difference and more importantly a difference in parenting?
Most of the criticism (at least from viewers calling in on shows) has been targeted at the parents. The Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey warned the parents and the children. He said “Parents need to know where their kids are. Kids need to take responsibility for their own behavior….I’m not in the social-work business here. We are police officers, and we’re going to lock them up. . . . I’m not their mother and not their father. My job is to keep peace in the streets, and that’s what we’re going to do. We will have people out there to deal with it every single day, every single weekend if we need it”. The Mayor of the city and the District Attorney have also indicated that if parents do not take responsibility for their children they might face criminal charges themselves.
I absolutely cannot understand why kids, teenagers and adults who live in the richest country in the world resort to such gimmicks (and criminal acts in some cases) to get attention and publicity. It is not cool to destroy property or disrupt the lives of other individuals. Recently there was a story about a flash mob that assembled in Rittenhouse Square (one of most expensive areas in Center City Philadelphia). All the participants in this flash mob just kept laughing for no reason. I wish I could take some of these participants to India and show them the real challenges people of their age face. Their laughter will disappear in a second.
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Category: Culture & Religion
Sounds like an example of “idle mind is devil’s workshop”. Not that kids in India are always busy, but I think the family structure (at least for the middle class) does give them the attention many kids crave. Constant competition; exams to write probably keeps them occupied.
Family structure and discipline.
I live near Philadelphia, teach high school, and found the Indian perspective on this very interesting. One thing that is important to note is that while the USA is a wealthy country, the wealth is not evenly spread at all. I know that in India the difference is even more stark, but it is worth pointing out that the teens in these ‘mobs’ largely come from poor neighborhoods, and are choosing to gather in the wealthy neighborhoods. The urban education system is despicable. These kids absolutely do NOT have studies or activities to keep them busy. They don’t have books to take home from school, and in most cases do not have much homework because teachers have gotten tired of assigning homework kids won’t do. In a good number of cases they don’t live with their parents, or their parents aren’t going to keep track of them. You certainly can place blame on parents, but that won’t solve the problem.
I wish as well that they could see the challenges other people face. They really don’t know.
Welcome Katie and thank you for your feedback. The news coverage seems to indicate that these kids are from poor neighborhoods and inner city schools. But I watched some video on YouTube that shows that individuals from other strata of society are participating as well (I agree that they are the minority).
Your point about parents is well taken. So who should we hold accountable or is this a lost generation? You probably know this but I would like to mention that poverty and poor neighborhoods in the United States is nothing compared to what is going on in countries like India. Even some of the best schools in India (including private schools) will not have the facilities or the resources that some of the worst schools in America have.