Why do people in quarantine watch disaster films and how does this affect the psyche

Why do people watch disaster films, especially now during the coronavirus pandemic? The publication tried to find the answer to this question.Voice of America«

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"Epidemic", "Infection" and other films about the disasters that cause deadly diseases to mankind, asteroids, zombies, break records in the number of views on online TV.

For example, in 1995 the film “Epidemic” was shot. It tells the story of a virus that has spread to a small Californian town, causing it to become isolated from the rest of the world.

Currently, the film ranks first in the top ten most popular films on Netflix.

Since the production of films due to COVID-19 has practically stopped, and cinemas are quarantined, people switched to watching movies on online platforms, and watch mainly disaster films.

"Outbreak" is one of many films whose plot is based on various end-of-the-world scenarios. The picture keeps the viewer in suspense through fear and anxiety of an invisible enemy that is spreading throughout the city. In order to somehow protect themselves from the virus, people are hiding in their homes, while the corrupt military is spreading false information about the situation and planning to blow up the city to stop the spread of the virus.

On the subject: The faint-hearted not to watch: 10 films and series about viruses and epidemics

Why are disaster films so popular during a pandemic? Psychologist Carolyn Loren attributes this to human fear of dying. And also with a deep sense of anxiety due to people's awareness of their mortality. According to her, disaster films with a good ending reassure viewers.

“It’s an escape from reality, you can be in another reality for a couple of hours, in the one that’s happening on the screen, and there’s something exciting about it that makes your heart beat faster,” she says.

Disaster films, such as the film about the deadly virus “Contagion” (2011), give the viewer the opportunity to feel how scientists are racing against time to save humanity.

Most films based on a pandemic scenario describe events that are many times worse than what humanity is experiencing at the moment. It also gives the viewer a sense of relief, because in real life, not everything is so bad.

On the subject: 'Possible collapse of civilization': a dangerous asteroid rushes to Earth

The Plague of Florence is a 1919 silent film about the Black Death epidemic of 1348. The genre of the film shows that people were interested in this topic even in the era of silent cinema. Interestingly, the film, which tells the story of the plague in the Middle Ages, was filmed at the height of the Spanish flu pandemic, when people's fear of death increased.

Watching movies about zombie apocalypse or a pandemic that destroys humanity is not suitable for everyone. Indeed, during times of uncertainty, when people are faced with anxiety and helplessness, watching such films can overload the psyche too much.

At the same time, it can help overcome anxiety. It's like with nightmares - when they end, you wake up and, realizing that it was just a dream, you calm down. Likewise, at the end of films they usually show something good: a vaccine has been found, humanity has been saved.

If you are sure that watching such a film will be a relief for you, we offer you several cult paintings on this topic.

As reported by ForumDaily:

• A new virus was discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. In 2020, it covered all continents except Antarctica. On March 11, US President Donald Trump imposed a ban on entering the United States from EU countries. The ban came into force on Friday, March 13, and will last at least 30 days. In particular, it will concern people who have visited the Schengen area over the past 14 days.
• March 13 Trump due to coronavirus introduced a nationwide emergency regime in the US.
• On March 11, WHO recognized the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, which covered more than 110 countries. Symptoms of Coronavirus COVID-19 Disease Available here.
• Virologist's tips on how to protect yourself from infection - here to register:.
• Taking advantage of the panic in the society because of the epidemic, fraudsters came up with several schemes to deceive victims of personal data and money. The most common ones can be found here.
• Having succumbed to panic due to a state of emergency, Americans are massively buying toilet paperbut they cannot explain why they need it during the epidemic.
• Trump has signed into law on paid leave due to coronavirus. Who can count on paid leave, read here.
• Read all news about coronavirus in our special project.

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