Young people are using TikTok to organise flashmob looting

The power of social media

It’s clear that social media content and real-world events are influencing one another more than ever before.

A prime example is illustrated by the controversial British TikTok creator Mizzy, who has been summoned to court twice this year for his illegal ‘pranks’ and clout-chasing stunts, which he posts on the social media platform for millions of viewers to see.

At the time of the organised looting event, Mizzy was spotted on Oxford Street, though he claimed to only be in the area to see a movie with friends. ‘I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t start that event, that event has nothing to do with me. I did not go around telling people to loot shops, because that’s bummy behaviour,’ he said.

Regardless, there’s clearly a growing appetite for organised reckless behaviour on social media. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, called the craze ‘nonsense’ and discouraged people from travelling to the area or being ‘sucked into’ crime.

Concerned government officials urged parents to pay closer attention to what their children are viewing online. They placed the responsibility of education on parents – not the police – saying that adults need to remind their children that illegal behaviour is wrong and potentially dangerous to their well-being and future.

Even well-intentioned mob mentality is risky

Earlier this month, an example of how even a well-intentioned stunt can turn ugly occurred in New York.

Twitch’s most popular streamer Kai Cenat teamed up with another streamer known as Fanum, announcing on social media that they’d be giving away multiple Sony PlayStation 5 game consoles to numerous lucky individuals in Union Square Park.

The post went viral, resulting in several thousand people rushing to attend. Anticipation, excitement, and the density of the crowd gave way to violent and aggressive behaviour well before Cenat had even arrived.

According to police, the crowd started throwing rocks, bottles, paint cans and other debris and lighting fireworks and aiming them at officers and members of the public. It resulted in the arrest of 65 individuals, of which 30 were young people.

Cenat was reportedly removed from the scene for his own safety and later charged with inciting a riot and unlawful assembly.

‘A lot of young people got hurt. You had people walking around with shovels, axes and other tools of the construction trade,’ said NYPD Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey. ‘This speaks to the power of social media and the danger of social media.’

It’s anybody’s guess when the next event of this kind will happen – in the UK or the US – but it’s clear that the values, behaviours, and actions of young people are easily influenced by content online.

For now, it may be up to digital platforms and tech teams inside law enforcement agencies to crack down on it.