Pandemics in popular culture

There are several examples of how pandemics and various apocalyptic scenarios are currently in demand more than usual in popular media. The virus film Contagion premiered in the fall of 2011 and was then quickly forgotten by most. Now all of a sudden it is back on the radar and people are watching it in droves

The streaming service Netflix has seen great interest in the documentary series Pandemic, which inadvertently but very fittingly had its release at the same time as the current pandemic took off.

And this applies to many different kinds of popular culture. On Google Trends, you can clearly see a pattern in what people are looking for on the internet right now. The trend shows that there is a general increased interest in movies and video games on the theme of viruses, epidemics and zombies.

3 questions about pandemics in popular media

1. While the coronavirus is now spreading across the world, many people are searching for movies and books related to pandemics. An example is "Contagion", a film from 2011, which suddenly tops the rental listings. How does one explain this sudden interest? Is there any particular psychological phenomenon behind it?

There are several ways to explain and understand this. First and foremost, we are highly social and story-telling creatures. Other primates groom and pick lice to manage and strengthen relationships. The language, the gossip and the fairy tales, which have followed us from campfires in ancient times to television and computer screens today, are important for understanding both how we create groups and how we try to understand the world and what is called a sense of context.

In addition to the gossip and the fairy tales, you can understand the hype with "Contagion" based on games and entertainment. Games and entertainment can be valuable in itself as just being fun for the moment, but it is also part of exploring, practicing, trying, learning and dealing with reality. Imagination and facts complement each other.

For a while, we had a wave of disaster films that caught accidents in buildings, at sea and in the air. The two rather elusive phenomena with infectious diseases as well as the climate issue have been captured pretty well with zombie-related stories. The cartoon series and the TV series The Walking Dead as well as the book and movie about The Girl with the Gifts are two clear examples.

When we now have a virus and a pandemic in motion, it can fascinate, confuse and captivate us in several different ways. “Contagion” is a good example of a way of trying to tackle the current problem in order to make it understandable. The effect can also be the opposite. Namely, that people seek entertainment that has nothing to do with the problem at all and view it as a distraction. Both scenarios can be seen as methods of managing and making everyday life and reality meaningful and manageable.

2. Is reading or watching virus-inspired media harmful?

No, consuming media of this kind in and of itself is not harmful. In fact, it might even be healthy in helping you contextualising reality. It is however, just entertainment and you should view it as that and nothing else. As with many other interests, the biggest problem may be that your surroundings feel may eventually lead you to becoming bored or feeling isolated if you can’t leave your home for one reason or another. It is possible that for an individual who already has some underlying issues, it could be unhealthy to over-consume this type of media even if it is not harmful in itself, e.g. for those prone to hallucinations, paranoia or compulsions. In these cases however, the root of problem is not the entertainment but something else entirely.

3. How does one know if engaging in this type of popular culture right now will make you feel better or worse?

A problem could be that people often believe that worrying, fear and sorrow is dangerous or wrong, when in actuality, these are healthy reactions to some of the serious events taking place. In many self-help books, social media channels and advertisements, it’s easy to get the idea that positive and happy thinking always is how everyone should feel by default. Feelings of worry, fear and sorrow are completely normal however, and should not be stigmatised.

There’s also the risk of falling into the trap of being caught up exclusively in bad or negative news, which only unnecessarily feeds into one’s sense of worry or fear. Being informed is a great thing but getting too caught up in your worries or fears over things you can’t control can lead you to being in a more stressed and negative headspace. It’s therefore important to not become overly fixated on news reports, statistics or following all the latest buzz on social media.

13 tips for managing your worries about the virus

1. Take the warnings and advisories seriously. Too many are dismissive in thinking these issues are not serious, when they are life-threatening for others.
2. Accept the things you can and cannot control.
3. Draft up a simple plan of things to do in the short (days/weeks), medium (a month) and long term (months/years).
4. Be kind and help others in your flat building, neighbourhood, community town and at your workplace.
5. Read information from several reliable sources and follow instructions from health authorities and professionals
6. Try to limit the volume or the amount of time you spend following negative news reports and media.
7. Maintain a daily routine, whether you’re working from your workplace or at home.
8. Get up early in the morning, eat routinely, balance work and free-time and wind down and get a full night’s rest (7-8hrs).
9. Physical activity is important – try to exercise at least 30mins every day.
10. Relationships are important - Use your computer, mobiles, tablets to keep in contact with friends and family if you can’t leave your home.
11. Try to create your own space for some alone time – this is important if you’re working at home with kids or caring for a sick family member.
12. Have fun, remember to have a laugh and enjoy each day.
13. Feed your creative side – write, read, draw, paint, play or listen to music to decompress and balance your positive and negative feelings.