'Doomsday' rumor nothing but socializing theme

Frightening images of the end of the world have been promoted by eschatological believers in what has become a special phenomenon mixed with rumors, superstition and pop culture.

Despite the debate, few people really believe the day marks the demise of humanity, regarding it merely as a theme for socializing.

The designation of Dec. 21, 2012 as doomsday, which misinterprets an ancient Mayan calendar, is rejected even by many Mayan descendants, and has been debunked by scientists. However, the rumors did send ripples all around the world.

In France, some people even gathered on a mountain top waiting to be picked up by some alien spacecraft. There were incidents of scare buying in Russia. The survival tools became hot sale items elsewhere.

Noteworthy is the role of pop culture played in spreading the rumors across the globe.

From the extreme weather events in "The Day After Tomorrow" to the evil supercomputer in "The Terminator," not to mention the apocalyptic film "2012," it seems playwrights and directors can always find new plots in which humanity meets its doom.

Moreover, the horror novel "The Stand" by American author Stephen King describes an unknown virus which attacks human beings.

There is no doubt the inspiration for playwrights and novelists comes from the hundreds of versions of doomsday in human history, which include the Sumerian prophecy that Nibiru, a mysterious planet, will hit the earth and destroy human civilization, and the doomsday prophecy of Mormonism, as well as the theory that Halley's Comet will destroy the earth. However, all of these guesses have been reduced to jokes.

While curiosity and imagination are the sources of many scientific discoveries, they can also sometimes become a breeding ground for superstition.

However, with the scientific knowledge we have today, there is indeed no need to be frightened by such rumors.

Fortunately, the majority of people do not believe in a doomsday. After browsing the big social network websites, it is obvious most of the discussion on this subject involves jokes and mocking. The most common topics include: Who will you spend doomsday with; weather forecast for doomsday; survival secrets on the earth...

When they discuss the topic, most people took it as merely a topic for chatting or a theme for socials.

As a side effect, the doomsday rumors raised the world's interest in the Mayan culture and thus delivered a boon for Mexico, which estimates the number of visitors to the southern part of the country will grow to 50 million, among which 200,000 will visit relics of the Mayan civilization.