Modeling flash mobs in cybernetic space: evaluating threats of emerging socio-technical behaviors to human security

Since the occurrence of the first ´Flash Mob´ organized by Bill Wasik in Manhattan in 2003, flash mob phenomenon has become widespread. Recent journalistic accounts have reported that this form of public engagement has the potential to pose considerable amounts of risks to civil, political, social, and economic stability of a region. This raises the importance of systematically studying such behaviors. Modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide affordable and easy to use means of communications (such as social network platforms, viral emails, and SMS) that facilitates the process of recruiting, training, and looking for a specific sector of the society (specific gender, age, political affiliation, interest, and cultural background) easier than it was before. This in turn has led to an increase in the occurrences of emerging socio-technical behaviors, including parkour, flash mobs, campaigns, and social or mass movements. This research is an attempt to bridge social and computational sciences that would help analyze and explain manifestations of emerging socio-technical behaviors, especially the flash mobs.