With popular TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and numerous zombie video games, it is no surprise zombies have continued to pique people’s interests.
But researchers are more interested in the reasons behind increased popularity in zombies and what it may be tied to. A study conducted at Clemson University suggests there is a direct correlation between the interest in zombies and people’s unhappiness.
Doug Johnson, who authored the “UF Zombie Attack: Disaster Preparedness Simulation Exercise #5 (DR5),” said he agrees there is some substance behind this claim.
“This fascination with zombies is a fascination with this unlimited and unfocused and mindless consumption because that’s what zombies are. That’s what they do.” said Johnson, the assistant director for UF’s Learning Services.
Megan Ouellette, a 23-year-old UF early childhood education graduate student, said she doesn’t see the connection between an the popularity of zombies and people’s unhappiness.
“I think it’s just a consumer fad like any other popular thing people get obsessed with,” she said.
Colin Knapp, a UF visiting economics professor, said people see the relationship between zombies and the economy because they want to see it, not because it is actually there.
“It just seems to be that people think there’s a lot of economic angst right now; therefore, that must be why people want to watch zombie movies,” he said. “But if you look at history, people always seemed to like zombies.”
