Going Viral

A couple of weeks ago, a confluence of events got me thinking about how the concept of "viral" has infiltrated society over the past few years.

First, there was my friend and colleague Witty's (aka DJDave) hot hot hot video, "Whole Foods Parking Lot."  It got an insane number of views on YouTube and tons of national media attention (and rightfully so, in my ever so humble opinion). I had the tune stuck in my head for a least a week, and now I've got the song on my iPod. It's an earworm for sure, making it viral not only in the way in which the video spread from user to user, but also viral within the head of each viewer/listener. Check it out, but if you can't shake it, don't say I didn't warn you:

Then there was this keen insight from Ethan Gilsdorf over at The Boston Globe:

"Post-apocalyptic scenarios never used to be inundated with the undead. Take the classics: 'Soylent Green,' 'Planet of the Apes,' 'The Terminator.' Plenty of unsavory characters who’ve fashioned impressive wardrobes out of leather, your pick of unspeakable acts. But no zombies.

Of late, our dystopian worlds tend to be overrun with the plague-ridden. Whatever killed off the humans and caused the US government to collapse was not nuclear, not alien, but viral, spread one sweet bite at a time."

And then I started thinking about books I had read recently, like Super Sad True Love Story, Visit from the Goon Squad, and World War Z, as well as lighter fare such as Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. What is it about the infection of society, be it with an un-dead plague or with the proliferation of personal communication devices that can meet nearly each and every need of the owner, that so fascinates authors?

Since I found none of these first three books to have any redeeming features or be rewarding in any way, I am quite baffled by the object of the bleak commonalities that they share. Perhaps the overriding message of these recent dystopian films and books is that the human race will spawn its own destruction (not that that is a new idea), but I like to think that we will be aware of impending nightmare scenarios and prevent worlds mirroring those of 1984 or Idiocracy.

The zombies are a whole other matter, but personal communication is evolving in ways that take advantage of new technology as it becomes available. Because technology is developing at such a rapid pace that is at odds with our own human evolution, the learning curve for how best to fit these technologies and communication strategies into our lives is a steep one with many stumbling blocks.

However, it seems that the ways we communicate self-correct over time, and the methods of communication that people truly find useful not only stick, but expand (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), while the ones without true utility fall by the wayside (i.e. Friendster, and dare I say MySpace). Even good old AIM's time has passed, at least in my own life as it has come to be replaced with other, more convenient communication tools that better fit my post-collegiate needs.

Viral, despite its negative connotations in many scenarios, has become something that can contribute positively to our current technological and communications climate. When a video, song, or news story spreads virally, it is a way for people to connect with others whom they esteem in some way. As technology makes the concept of distance obsolete — while at the same time decreasing in-person interactions — there is still a need to find that connection which makes one feel part of a society, a culture, a race. The values we share with the groups with which we affiliate ourselves are a kind of virus as well, and it is that common strain that holds us all together.