That is a possibility. I have neighbors who refuse to go into the city or shopping malls for fear of bombs and/or bio-terrorism. They know that it is irrational. On the plus side, their savings account is getting fuller. They are also more likely to buy necessary stuff and not useless decorative junk made in China. They are blissfully unaware of the kinds of news gathering FReepers are exposed to. They get what they need from the newspaper (NYT-owned) and CNN, yet they're still cautious and would definitely freak if I showed them these articles, postings and links.