[New Wave] Epidemics, Cats, and Games

Cats were objects of worship in ancient Egypt. The goddess Bast, who had the form of a cat, symbolized fertility and abundance. How could anyone treat cats carelessly? In fact, traces of funerals where cats were mummified after death have been found in many places. There was even a discovery of more than 300,000 cat mummies at once. The meticulousness of the ancient Egyptians can be inferred from the fact that alongside the cat mummies, mouse mummies were also made as food for the afterlife. In ancient times when food was scarce, what could be a more reliable guardian than a cat that protected food supplies by keeping mice away?

As time passed and Egypt fell, becoming part of the Roman Empire, the custom of keeping cats was also transmitted to Rome. However, the Roman Catholic Church pursued a policy of exterminating cats as a way to eradicate paganism. This was because pagans were believed to worship cats. Especially black cats were objects of hatred throughout Europe. Many cats suffered at the hands of Christians who believed that the screams of dying cats were actually the screams of demons.

In the 14th century, the Black Death began to spread across Europe. It is said that as many as 200 million people died as a result. This was about half of the European population at the time, an enormous number. Cats were blamed as the cause of this terrible epidemic. People thought cats were the hosts of the disease. The explanation that the plague spread where many cats were found probably sounded plausible to medieval Europeans. However, the real cause was rats, and since there were many rats, there appeared to be many cats that fed on them.

While catching cats, people prayed to God following the advice of Catholic priests. But it was to no avail. In fact, the death rate among priests who served God was higher than that of ordinary people. Since cats that helped prevent the plague were executed, it was only natural that the plague worsened in the church. Seeing priests die first without any treatment, the public’s faith in the church and God weakened. Thus, the seemingly endless Middle Ages came to an end. The epidemic changed society and completely transformed people’s values and worldview.

In the story of the Black Death and cats, I recently found a striking similarity with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 outbreak, with outdoor activities restricted, interest in 'games' surged. This is very similar to the role cats played during the Black Death. In May last year, before the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that excessive immersion in games would be classified as a disease code called 'gaming disorder.' Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, games have greatly contributed to alleviating people’s isolation and enhancing a sense of solidarity. Just a year ago, games were considered a symptom of mental disorders, but now they have 'saved' people who felt powerless and bored. Just like cats did in the Middle Ages.

I have read reports that after the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide game usage time and views of game videos have increased tremendously. Yet, I have never heard of an increase in mental disorders or social problems related to games. It seems fortunate that games have proven to play a positive role in sustaining social distancing. I hope this will lead to a progressive change in WHO’s stance so that the status of games appropriate for the 'post-COVID-19' era can be established.

Lee Jang-ju, Director of Irak Digital Culture Research Institute