In 2003, Howard Rheingold, a former editor of the
Whole Earth Review, published a book called
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution. In it, he wrote: “Smart mobs consist of people who are able to act in concert with one another even if they don’t know each other.”
The most recent example of a
Smart Mob that garnered global attention was the opposition movement in Iran. The followers of Mir-Hossein Moussavi used Web tools such as
Twitter,
YouTube,
Facebook and
Flickr to both coordinate their actions and stream data out to the world—all from a country known for imposing harsh restraints on the flow of information.
Though certainly not on the same scale as the Iranian movement, Rheingold’s idea of the Smart Mob is starting to resonate in the Capital region, too. Several groups are capitalizing on the notion that they can use technology and social media tools to create a public stir, build buzz, draw attention to an issue and ultimately make positive change in the region.
Flash MobsOne specific brand of Smart Mob that's been very visible on the national scene is the Flash Mob, and it's recently started popping up in Lansing, too.
Flash Mobs were invented by Bill Wasik, an editor at
Harper’s Magazine. The Flash Mob operates according to the psychological concept of deindividualization, which suggests that people lose their inhibitions when functioning within a group.
In 2003, Wasik sent out anonymous emails to his friends instructing them to meet at specific time in a designated place to perform a certain action. For one of Wasik’s flash mobs, participants met at a Toys ‘R Us in New York City. At a designated time, the participants all gathered in front of the store’s trademark giant animatronic tyrannosaurus rex and cowered in its presence before they began to mock-worship it.
Two Lansing groups have used the Flash Mob idea to advance their own goals—none of which include worshipping dinosaurs.
Baseball BashAccelerate Lansing, a group of young professionals dedicated to making Lansing a better place, recently staged a Flash Mob at a
Lansing Lugnuts game.
“When you’re in Detroit it’s almost expected that you love the city of Detroit, you respect Detroit, you wear it on yourself,” says Tremaine Phillips, a member of the group. "But when you’re in Lansing, there’s not that same kind of community aspect. Again, there’s kind of a culture where we have a tendency to look down on ourselves. There’s no need for that.”
Accelerate's Flash Mob event was produced in conjunction with the Lugnuts baseball organization. After the game's seventh inning, the announcer suddenly urged the crowd to stand up and yell out reasons they love living in Lansing. Accelerate Lansing members stood up and shared.
The project fell a little short of its goal—most spectators were perhaps more confused than inspired, and the voices of the Accelerate contingent were difficult to hear. But the impetus was there and the group says next time they’ll improve their tactic. And Flash Mob events are historically difficult to pull off—even Wasik’s first one was a complete bust.
The Transportation DanceCathleen Edgerly, the
Clean Commute Options Coordinator for the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA), has tried using the Flash Mob strategy as part of her efforts to help people find ways to get around without using their car.
When a friend emailed her links to YouTube videos featuring Flash Mobs from around the world, she knew she needed to implement something similar. When she first pitched the idea, people in her office were very receptive, so she sent out cryptic instructions using Facebook, Twitter, email and LinkedIn accounts.
“This is what’s happening. I can’t give you details. I need you all to be here at this time. We’re gonna go from there,” she informed people.
Participants arrived by bus, bike, and foot, and met near the Capitol building to
perform a dance that had been choreographed ahead of time. While these people were in on it, not everyone was. An estimated 70 to 80 people participated in the dancing, and the spectacle was observed by more than 100 onlookers.
“Without the Tweets, the Facebook messages, and all those kind of connections, I don’t think we’d have had as many people there,” says Edgerly.
E-Organizing“I always said that if I was a rich man and had extra money, I would love to get $5,000, get five of my friends, give them each $1,000 to go out into the community and just give it away,” says the
Wharton Center’s Bob Hoffman. “I don’t have an extra $5,000 sitting around, but I do have a lot of friends.”
Hoffman had a crazy idea to help people without spending money. Hoffman wanted to invite friends to a party where they could talk about the good deeds they would perform in the community. He sent out an e-vite and created a Facebook event that hit 900 people.
The results of the project were greater than Hoffman could have predicted—200 people showed up for the first
Epiphany Now party, in January 2008.
“I have friends, but I don’t have that many friends,” jokes Hoffman.
Here's how the Epiphany Now parties work: attendees form small groups and choose a good deed—pay for strangers’ groceries or gas, for example, or help out a neighbor by raking leaves. After the groups choose a deed, they go into the community and make a difference in someone’s life. All participants regroup three hours later to share what they’ve done. The organization is about doing simple things for other people in the hope that it will start a chain reaction.
Hoffman wanted to make this a real-life event because he believes in face-to-face contact. Giving to charity is often anonymous. Helping someone on a personal level gives the greatest high, says Hoffman.
The program was originally dubbed Pay It Forward, but now it’s Pass it Forward—Hoffman wanted to distance the organization from the idea that money is necessary to help someone.
Hoffman plans on holding event twice a year because he doesn’t want people to be dependent on him and he encourages people to do things like this on their own.
“You don’t need me,” he says.
The next Pass it Forward will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Jan. 23 at
Dublin Square in East Lansing.
Adam Molner is a freelance writer living in Lansing. He has written for
Lansing City Pulse, The Delta-Waverly News Herald and
Climbing Magazine. You can contact him
here.
Photos:
Some of the original ePIFany Now organizers are (left to right) Russ White, Lynda White, Bob Hoffman, Sally Taylor (All Photographs © Dave Trumpie)
Clean Commute Flash Mob dancers (courtesy photo)
The Accelerate Lansing Flash Mob at the Lugnuts game (courtesy photo)
Dancers pose at the Capitol (courtesy photo)
ePIFany Now participants (Tammy Sue Allen photography)