Did Social Media Play a Role in the Recent Mall Fights?

Fights broke out at a Fort Worth mall and other malls across the nation on Monday.

By Michael MarksDecember 28, 2016 12:46 pm

The day after Christmas more than 100 people at Hulen Mall in Fort Worth began brawling near the food court. Similar fights broke out at more than a dozen other malls all over the country.

Police are wondering if social media may have played a role. Lana McGilvray, a principal at Blast Public Relations, says it’s possible.

“It would be very odd to see that number having no connection to social media or some sort of organized activity at some level,” she says. “I think we’ve already seen some data coming out of Ohio that shows that social media may have been used to help organize the incident.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How social media could have influenced the fights

– How the fights echo the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray

– How data analytics are monitoring social media conversations after such events