The accelerated, digitally-amplified version of groupthink where a crowd's sentiment coalesces into a perceived moral imperative with terrifying speed, bypassing
deliberation. Dissent isn't just
discouraged; it is algorithmically hidden and socially
prosecuted. It's groupthink with the velocity and scale of a viral feed, creating instant orthodoxies.
Example: A celebrity's decade-old tweet is unearthed. Within hours, a hashtag demands their
cancellation. Media piles on. Anyone pointing out context or advocating proportionality is drowned out as "defending the indefensible." This is mobthinking—a punitive, self-reinforcing consensus formed at
internet speed, demanding
immediate conformity.