The recent dramatic unrest in the UK is described as the world’s first decentralized riots, facilitated by social media such as Twitter and the BlackBerry Messenger network. But deep psychological forces are also at play. In times of social unrest, violent acts that would usually seem extreme can quickly become the norm among groups of people identifying with each other in terms of age, social status or other attributes. When people see looting and rioting happening elsewhere, it shows them what can be realized. Feeling empowered, they think they can do pretty much what they like, and they have a good time doing it. They simply don’t think of it as unacceptable as they would at other times. Such collective action is driven by social identity – by people sharing a common social place. It is too early to know what the rioters might have in common, but it is suspected that it boils down to social class and is defined by economic deprivation. They seem to be targeting the middle class. It’s like a kind of class warfare on the streets of Britain. Alienation from their families, the local community and mainstream society stops agitators from caring about the harm they cause others. It is necessary to challenge the rioters’ current perception that there are no opportunities for a better future.