Twittermob

We live in an age when the old media claim to be the voices of calmness and reason amid the storm, comparing themselves favourably with the lawless frontier towns and torch-wielding Twittermobs of social media.

What is it about the era we live in that means these kind of Twittermobs can emerge with such speed and ferocity?

2012, David Banks, "How do you prosecute a Twittermob?", 26 April 2012 (used in title only)