Why has Toilet Paper become an “icon” of mass panic?
MMI Perspective
We’ve all seen the viral videos and photos of toilet paper panic buying that has been making their rounds on social media since the global spread of the Covid-19. Empty rows of supermarket shelves where rolls of toilet paper once were are becoming a familiar scene throughout the world. Toilet paper has become an “icon” of mass panic, even provoking violent physical altercations over it.
From armed robberies of hundreds of toilet paper rolls in Hong Kong to a newspaper printing out eight extra blank pages to be used as toilet paper in Australia, what is so special about this roll of tissue that it has caused so much mayhem throughout the globe? We know that it offers no protection against the virus. So why is it that toilet paper was often one of the first things to go out of stock in the wake of the coronavirus-induced panic buying? You would think the same would apply to essential items in a time of crisis such as canned and frozen food but this was not the case.
Psychologist Mary Alvord, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine believes that toilet paper has primal associations, linked to what is arguably the body’s least agreeable function. “There is comfort in knowing that it’s there,” she says. “We all eat and we all sleep and we all poop. It’s a basic need to take care of ourselves. As humans have evolved into exceedingly social creatures, it’s about being clean and presentable and social and not smelling bad” says Alvord.
Meanwhile, Dr Paul Harrison, a human behaviour expert at Deakin University, Australia attributes it to the “herd effect”, where people see shortages happening and they don’t want to be the one left without toilet paper. Sander van der Linden, an assistant professor of social psychology at Cambridge University agrees with this theory, stating that
“When people are stressed their reason is hampered, so they look at what other people are doing. If others are stockpiling it leads you to engage in the same behaviour. People see photos of empty shelves and regardless of whether it’s rational, it sends a signal to them that it’s the thing to do.”
Picture taken from New Straits Time, 6 March 2020. “Robberies, fights, rationing in global toilet paper panic-buying”
Fear of the unknown and what the future holds is another reason people panic buy. According to Dimitrios Tsivrikos, a lecturer in consumer and business psychology at University College London, “In times of uncertainty, people enter a panic zone that makes them irrational and completely neurotic,” he says. “In other disaster conditions like a flood, we can prepare because we know how many supplies we need, but we have a virus now we know nothing about”.
Additionally, with this pandemic causing individuals to feel like they have a low sense of control over their environment, retail therapy and stocking up on items makes them feel like they still have some control over their lives. “When you enter a supermarket, you’re looking for value and high volumes,” Tsivrikos adds, noting that people are drawn to the large packaging that toilet paper comes in when they are looking to regain a sense of control.
At the root of the problem, experts say the answer lies in game theory. In this scenario, there are two players— you and everyone else and there are two strategies— act normally or panic buy. Each strategy has its own pay-off. If everyone remains calm and buys only what they need, there is an equilibrium and there will be no shortages. However, if some people start panic buying and hoarding, the optimal strategy for others is to follow suit so they won’t be left without toilet paper, resulting in shortages.
So we implore you, let’s be considerate to the members of our community. If we all commit to buying only what we need, there will be enough to go around for everyone. In such a trying and difficult time for everyone globally, let’s all do our part to not exacerbate the situation. Therefore, it is imperative that you stay home, wash your hands, practice social distancing and remember, DO NOT PANIC BUY TOILET PAPER!!! (or anything for that matter.)
Written by,
Rebekah Rhema
Writer and Social Media Executive 2019/2020
Malaysian Medics International
References
Kluger J. In the Wake of the Coronavirus, Here's Why Americans Are Hoarding Toilet Paper. TIME [Internet]. 2020 Mar 14 [cited 2020 Mar 26];Health,Covid-19. Available from: https://time.com/5803273/hoarding-toilet-paper/
Chang C. Science behind why Australians are panic buying toilet paper. news.com.au [Internet]. 2020 Mar 13 [cited 2020 Mar 26];Health. Available from: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/science-behind-why-australians-are-panic-buying-toilet-paper/news-story/ab4f8d40b0fbf1b255fcd2cccee3ae1a
Taylor C. Here’s why people are panic buying and stockpiling toilet paper to cope with coronavirus fears. CNBC [Internet]. 2020 Mar 11, updated Mar 13 [cited 2020 Mar 26];Health and Science. Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/heres-why-people-are-panic-buying-and-stockpiling-toilet-paper.html
AFP. On a roll: The psychology behind toilet paper panic. Bangkok Post [Internet]. 2020 Mar 17 [cited 2020 Mar 26];World. Available from: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1880410/on-a-roll-the-psychology-behind-toilet-paper-panic
Yap AJ, Chen CY. The Psychology Behind Coronavirus Panic Buying [Internet]. Singapore: NSEAD Knowledge. 2020 Mar 02 [cited 2020 Mar 26]. Available from: https://knowledge.insead.edu/economics-finance/the-psychology-behind-coronavirus-panic-buying-13451