THE toilet paper has been dubbed as an “icon” of mass panic in different countries – due to the COVID-19 scare. Store shelves are empty! In the Philippines, there is no scarcity of toilet paper. What consumers find constantly unavailable in stores are alcohol and face masks. Blame it on hoarders?
Nobody knows when the corona virus problem will end, and people dread the idea of a lockdown. The uncertainty of the times makes people feel out of control. According to psychologists, one response to this is panic buying. It is an attempt to regain a sense of control. It eases anxiety, but the effect does not last.
When people see pictures and videos of empty shelves and long queues of panic buyers, it creates a panic buying contagion. They copy what they see in order to alleviate their fear of scarcity.
“The fear of scarcity can create real scarcities” If people buy only what they need for the week, there will be enough for everybody. When hoarders buy in bulk, the greater part of the community is deprived of the supplies they need – which adds to the existing problems. If they run out of disinfectant and catch a virus, will the hoarders and their families avoid contamination? If medical workers run out of surgical masks and get infected by any type of virus, who will treat and take care of the sick?
No hoarding, please. Buy what you need for a week or two. Leave some for other consumers who need the same canned goods, masks, and sanitation products, too. Here’s something from lion mind. org. sg: “We should also view ourselves as a society instead of individuals. Hoarding increases hostility in a society because it causes inconvenience to others (Goh, 2020). Being able to respect other people’s needs is important in times like this.”
