Flashes

Because punctuated reality is episodic—waves come and go—the social structure of modern life is also episodic. Social groups form spontaneously and often without obvious reasons. Flashmobs ravage innocent bystanders, online raves spring up and just as quickly die out, protesters flair-up on Wall Street and then disappear. Why? These bursts occur because of the increasingly connected super hive we call the Internet. More importantly, they rise and fall because of how society is wired together. Ever-tightening self-organization and the resulting hub-like structure of society magnifies the impact and spreads these events like a wildfire. If you want to control the Internet animali, seek out and control the center.