Life itself can certainly become mind numbing, especially if you find yourself in a monotonous routine or schedule that repeats itself endlessly. There are less obvious things although that can somewhat put your body and mind in a deadened state. Things such as social media and Netflix top the board for me as the “screen numbing” trend gets more and more contagious as younger generations continue to obsess over media.
Personally, as a college student I find it particularly tough to break a routine that fits my schedule. But after a few weeks in Psychology and the walking dead, I realized that not much truly separated me from a zombie. So with small purposeful hiccups in my daily routine I found myself not only challenged and stimulated more, but I felt better about my day. Worse than the college student though, is the daily 9-5 commuter. Driving to work, sitting in traffic, listening to the same station, parking in the same spot along with all of the daily things are incredibly repetitive. So what do I suggest? Leave early and stop to get coffee. Take a back way to work. Ride with a co-worker instead of riding alone (in Texas you may get an HOV pass for that too).
Now arguably the most mind numbing of all activities that is sweeping the nation is the smartphone. Mobs upon mobs of people will walk the streets of New York, only looking up to see the occasional street sign or to stop with the rest of the mob at a red light. And that’s scary, because at that point what separates them from zombies is the feelings that are struck up when sliding past something on their phone. Once I realized how much the herd mentality of the zombies in The Walking Dead resembled packs of people mindlessly walking around campus or the city with only one focus I was completely creeped out. What is alarming to me may not make you even bat an eyelash, but since my realization I’ve been more aware of my surroundings and I have put my phone away especially when with others and decided to just enjoy the company instead of just being a media whore with them.
Think for a moment about the show, a zombie with other zombies is basically idle with one another until a loud noise, scent or image appears to cut their attention. Things such as a human walking by, a gunshot, or the scent of a fresh corpse being ripped to shreds. Then all of a sudden, the once idle zombie’s attention switches to the noise or image. From then on the zombies are infatuated by this interruption. Now picture a 4 person family watching television after dinner together. Not only mind numbing but it makes us almost dedicate all of our attention to it. Now think about a knock on the door, or an apple pie finishing in the oven and its scent being spread throughout the house, even a bird flying in front of the window and flapping its wings near the window. Our attention is nearly immediately switched from the media we are neck deep in, to the interruption. And that’s scary to think how directly zombies are correlated to humans once media steps into the picture.
John Clark
Personally, as a college student I find it particularly tough to break a routine that fits my schedule. But after a few weeks in Psychology and the walking dead, I realized that not much truly separated me from a zombie. So with small purposeful hiccups in my daily routine I found myself not only challenged and stimulated more, but I felt better about my day. Worse than the college student though, is the daily 9-5 commuter. Driving to work, sitting in traffic, listening to the same station, parking in the same spot along with all of the daily things are incredibly repetitive. So what do I suggest? Leave early and stop to get coffee. Take a back way to work. Ride with a co-worker instead of riding alone (in Texas you may get an HOV pass for that too).
Now arguably the most mind numbing of all activities that is sweeping the nation is the smartphone. Mobs upon mobs of people will walk the streets of New York, only looking up to see the occasional street sign or to stop with the rest of the mob at a red light. And that’s scary, because at that point what separates them from zombies is the feelings that are struck up when sliding past something on their phone. Once I realized how much the herd mentality of the zombies in The Walking Dead resembled packs of people mindlessly walking around campus or the city with only one focus I was completely creeped out. What is alarming to me may not make you even bat an eyelash, but since my realization I’ve been more aware of my surroundings and I have put my phone away especially when with others and decided to just enjoy the company instead of just being a media whore with them.
Think for a moment about the show, a zombie with other zombies is basically idle with one another until a loud noise, scent or image appears to cut their attention. Things such as a human walking by, a gunshot, or the scent of a fresh corpse being ripped to shreds. Then all of a sudden, the once idle zombie’s attention switches to the noise or image. From then on the zombies are infatuated by this interruption. Now picture a 4 person family watching television after dinner together. Not only mind numbing but it makes us almost dedicate all of our attention to it. Now think about a knock on the door, or an apple pie finishing in the oven and its scent being spread throughout the house, even a bird flying in front of the window and flapping its wings near the window. Our attention is nearly immediately switched from the media we are neck deep in, to the interruption. And that’s scary to think how directly zombies are correlated to humans once media steps into the picture.
John Clark