Things That Are Like a Zombie Virus

[Eviebae]

I'm reading The Secret Apocalypse and it's another zombie virus plague idea where the--in this story--dead bite in order to spread the disease.

So, I've been playing a couple of games on facebook that while playable for free (I never use real money for game goods), are designed be addictive. Their aim is to get you to spend real money for game currency--and gain access to you and your friends personal information--so they can sell it and make money. This money is used to support the making of more games etc.

I realized that the games aren't just addictive, they're like a Zombie Virus. They get you to keep playing by hijacking your body's mechanisms--the addictive cycle and social instincts--to work against your own self interests. They cause you to infect others when you get your friends to play too so that they'll give you stuff for the game. The best ones don't kill the host--or the money cow. They can't be totally unplayable without spending real money. They have to be enjoyable enough to keep you playing. They represent a new mutation of the gambling virus.

It got me thinking, what else besides addictions are like the zombie virus? Dogs that are cute so you post pictures which make others want cute dogs? I can haz zombie?

[ZombieMama]

Well you have the actual toxoplasmosa parasite that could theoretically count like a zombie. Then there's pyramid schemes.
Oh, and then there's mad cow disease in humans...crazy stuff...

[ZombieMama]

Not trying to double post, but... did you guys know the CDC (center for disease control, an actual government agency) has a page on preparing for a zombie apocalypse?

[yarri]

Not trying to double post, but... did you guys know the CDC (center for disease control, an actual government agency) has a page on preparing for a zombie apocalypse?

Are you kidding? Girl! can you give me a link?

[ZombieMama]

Are you kidding? Girl! can you give me a link?

it's so recent, I wouldn't be surprised if the writer listens to WA!
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

[Luna Guardian]

I remember seeing that a while ago. It's good that the governments of the world are taking the threat of zombies seriously :P

I don't know if alcohol would qualify, but it does reduce peoples' intelligence and makes some more violent. It also makes coherent speech nigh impossible, so maybe it should

[ZombieMama]

I remember seeing that a while ago. It's good that the governments of the world are taking the threat of zombies seriously :P

I don't know if alcohol would qualify, but it does reduce peoples' intelligence and makes some more violent. It also makes coherent speech nigh impossible, so maybe it should

i once read an article that said that "Under the influence, a drunk 'backseat driver' is just as dangerous as a drunk driver". Considering that, then yes.
What about cigarettes? I hear now the FDA (i think) is even considering the harm of 3rd hand smoke. That is, smoke that penetrates through clothing or remains in areas smoked in is also harmful to people that never smoke.

[Eviebae]

Ooooo! All good ideas! Let's see, so to be a proper pseudozombie virus, it has to be:
zom Bad for you
zom Bad for Society
zom Makes changes in you or your behavior that are for its benefit
zom Decreases self awareness

Laurie Anderson says language is a virus...

[Osiris]

And the author of this book is?

[j0be]

zom Bad for you
zom Bad for Society
zom Makes changes in you or your behavior that are for its benefit
zom Decreases self awareness

Ok. Well I heard recently about a horrible drug that is sweeping across the poorer regions of Russia called 'krokodil'. (Crocodile).
It's basically a homemade heroin, but it starts decomposing the flesh near the injection site. Looks almost like how body parts look like after leprosy.

I would say that it's almost zombie like, because these people know it's killing them, but they are still doing it.

If you want to see the disturbing article regarding this drug, here's the link.
[LINK] (The video in the article is very graphic)