Day by day, I open my eyes and see myself in the mirror with an expressionless face. Nothing has changed for the past couple of years. I get ready, walk to the train and blend in with the crowd of people or should I say... Zombies. I've always been a huge fan of zombies even before all these series popped up. I've read graphic novels and seen movies of such gory creatures but never felt the disgust towards them. In fact, I'm fascinated with the idea. Dead, brainless, hungry and just keeps on going until their bodies deteriorate to nothing. Good for the worms then. (-.,) I was watching "Through the Wormhole" with Morgan Freeman discussing the possibility of zombie apocalypse happening in the future. There are many factors explaining the theory. Some say from DNA mutation while others theorize of robots taking over our brains, making us mindless slaves. But, come to think of it, aren't we already being controlled and directed into an abstract destination by someone or something? Have you ever felt that what we saw in films a decade ago is slowly becoming a reality? What a scary though. Where I come from, not everyone have mobile phones, tablets or laptops. Most of the time I have real human physical and social contact with family, friends and coworkers. I can still hear my voice being spoken and see real live faces of my friends and family. Unfortunately, in my current location, things are different. You're considered an outcast if you don't own at least two of those gadgets. It basically comes after food, water, shelter and sex. It's a 24-hour hobby and regarded as a prized possession. It goes with you where ever you are and is present in what ever you do. It doesn't spare you toilet breaks nor meal times. You will achieve insanity if you do not hold it and update it. It is an extension of your arm. It's innovation left us dependent to it and dreaded the fact of separation even for a few hours. We are at its mercy and sad to say, I am one of its minions. Every morning, I charge my phone while getting ready for work. Within that hour of preparation, I won't be seeing it. The moment I step out of the house, it magically attaches itself to one of my hands while the other reaches for the earphones in my bag. This has become a habit through an unknown date of origin. As I go through the streets, I drown in an overwhelming feeling of the morning routine. From reality to fiction, our daily lives has turned into something mechanical as we go with the flow of evolution. Handheld phones made us into faceless and nameless zombies craving for attention, making sure the world knows our every move in a daily basis. It's a crazy yet mundane spiral. Everybody's going digitally mad, spreading silent insanity viruses to all corners of the globe. Games, asian dramas, facebook, youtube, instagram, news articles, ebooks, etc., no one is spared from its unending offer of entertainment that comes in a small package. It saves people from enduring crowded spots and long waiting times. It creates small pockets of joy that takes people to a whole new world of imagination and care-free fun. We try to cope in an insanely fast world. We work to fulfill a dream despite a tight deadline. We try to keep up with the pace and end up drowning in more stress that we can possibly imagine. We get frustrated and depressed most of the time. We then try to make things work regardless the melancholy. That is why we indulge in such short-term pleasures because it is the easiest form of mind detox. It keeps us going and reminds us thinking that we are alive. Unfortunately, try to imagine zooming out your perspective a bit. Think of a crowded bus stop with people standing and facing only one thing... their phones. What will you see? Each of them are trapped in a delusion of life. Seeing only their screens and feeling happy with it. Not caring of anything else other than that digitally-enhanced high-definition screen. Accidents and even calamities are proved invisible beside a newly-release high-end mobile phone. People would even dodge work or family affair just to queue for at least 3 hours or more to get into the trend. Nothing matters except the thought of owning that beautifully lavished trophy of status that everyone is salivating for. Others can suffer for all they care as long as they have it in the palm of their hands. So... zombie apocalypse? I think it's as real today as the very existence of humanity. We may not devour other people's brains nor look gory or disgusting like those undead creatures in the movies but there is definitely something that's been eating our minds even at this very moment and we don't even know it or we just don't care. ••• |