A lot of people like zombies. I think zombies are disgusting, so I’m curious to understand the fascination people have with them. They’re the walking dead with decaying flesh that falls off in rotted chunks. They eat brains. Gross. They also have some unfair advantages compared to other super-naturals like vampires and lycanthropes (i.e. werewolves):
- They’re challenging to kill – you need to destroy the brain, or what’s left of it.
- They can infect you easily. Just one tiny bite or scratch is all it takes.
One friend likes zombies because, as a human, she can relate to how easy it is to become one in our daily life. This is reflected in our language when we use “zombie” to describe somebody who is disengaged, unaware of his/her surroundings and/or blindly follows orders without thinking. Sound familiar?
I felt inspired by an infographic on the social media zombie apocalypse and identified a couple zombies I’ve encountered.
1. The Candy Crush Saga Zombie
The game involves sliding pieces of candy around until you get three in a row.
I’ve observed people mindlessly playing games that require them to do little more than slide pieces around. Aside from killing time, there are no obvious benefits, yet these types of games are highly addictive and popular. A recent article on Candy Crush quotes a woman vacationing in Cancun who would leave the pool to play the game in her hotel room.
2. The MTMM Zombie (Multi-Task Multi-Media)
“Just let me finish this text!” The MTMM Zombie does everything but absorbs nothing.
Beware of conversing with the MTMM Zombie, who will be glued to his/her headphones, texting and emailing on the smartphone while listening to you. They’re completely engaged with everything, but not focusing on or absorbing anything.
We are connected to everything all the time, but we don’t have to do much or think about anything. Like a rat in a maze, we just need to know how to get to the cheese. Is this what the zombie apocalypse looks like?
I, personally, have always loved vampires. Perhaps it’s because they’re everything I’m not: fast, agile, stunning… and deadly. Real life vampires exist around us sucking our energy. It’s not blood, but it’s still draining life. Read about it in next week’s post: Social Media & Vampires.
Do you prefer zombies, vampires or lycanthropes? Cast your vote in this week’s poll.
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