Article by Naomi Moryosef ('24)
During the garish times of the bubonic and pneumonic plague, peasants struggled greatly in their attempt to find food. Starvation took its physical and mental toll. Aside from the eyes of commoners sinking into their faces, and skeletons walking through the empty, murky streets, people began to lose their sense of humanity. With no food of any kind in the markets, people would eat anything that crossed their paths, including cats, dogs, rats, and their children. The plague did end, and a period of great achievement followed. Today, a new outbreak emerges centuries after the medieval horrors, and it follows in its successful progenitor’s footsteps.
Today, a new outbreak emerges centuries after the medieval horrors, and it follows in its successful progenitor’s footsteps.
Humanity has significantly developed since the 1300s and has managed to find ways to make it so that come rain, come shine, come sleet, come snow, we will always have food in our local supermarket. The infamous coronavirus, however, has made obtaining household necessities increasingly difficult,
The infamous coronavirus, however, has made obtaining household necessities increasingly difficult
and the citizens in this world who still have some sense left in them are sitting in their homes wondering, “Why?”
Walking into a supermarket today, it is not uncommon to find at least five aisles almost completely barren. With nostalgia, we remember the days when these desolate aisles were filled with soap, hand sanitizer, dairy products, bread, bottled water, paper towels, wipes, and toilet paper.
Hoarding has become somewhat of a trend with the spread of COVID-19, and like most popular trends of the 21st century, this one is having a major negative impact on the world. The amount of food and toiletries being swept off shelves is enough to have people wondering whether or not they will be able to feed their families or even comfortably use the restroom. The hoarding that has come about due to coronavirus is an obstacle for everyone.
The hoarding that has come about due to coronavirus is an obstacle for everyone.
Hoarding is a psychological disorder that has previously been compared to obsessive-compulsive disorder, but this correlation has since been debunked. People with this disorder have difficulty in making decisions on whether to keep or discard items. Dr. David Tolin of Hartford Hospital and Yale University did a study on hoarders’ brains to see what makes it painful to let go of their possessions. His research shows that their decisions are obstructed by irregular brain activity in the regions of the brain that are involved in identifying an object’s significance. “They lose the ability to make relative judgments, so the decision becomes absolutely overwhelming and aversive to them,” Tolin states. The Anxiety and Depression Association of American (ADAA) explains that hoarding comes from the feeling that objects will be useful in the near future. Along with this, hoarders may also feel an item has sentimental value, is too great to give up, will help them remember people or places that they fear they will forget, etc.
When discussing the cause of hoarding due to COVID-19, it is very possible that it is coming from thoughts of utility, anxiety, and fear. Right when the virus became a national and international threat, people flocked to grocery stores to get the essentials in massive amounts. Citizens line the streets to get into the stores before they open, and grab as much as they can as fast they can. Some people had only begun to hoard because they saw others panic. For instance, Jason Krigsfeld, a citizen of Brooklyn, said, “We saw people emergency shopping yesterday and were like, ‘We need to do that, too.’” People who support hoarding are unsure of what will occur to their supplies amidst a pandemic and are comforted by the thought of having enough necessities no matter what.
People who support hoarding are unsure of what will occur to their supplies amidst a pandemic and are comforted by the thought of having enough necessities no matter what.
Many are afraid that they will be completely quarantined, run out of essentials, and be stuck in their homes without their humanity. After buying four bottles of NyQuil, Health care worker Mark Hanna stated, “The heebie-jeebies got to me yesterday — what if New York is quarantined?”
Shops and markets are now covered in signs that tell of what items they are out of, and some stores have been placing purchase limits on hot-ticket items. Online shopping is no longer an option, for most stores are wiped clean of certain products—this can make it difficult for those who are in quarantine. Some smaller storefronts and smaller towns have not seen as much of this hoarding action, but are struggling to get customers in when they do reach that point. Similarly, small businesses and even privately owned medical centers may find it difficult to get the items that keep their companies afloat. Without the proper amounts of toilet paper and cleaning supplies, they will not be able to stay open.
Many believe that the excessive purchases are overactive and dangerous. Robert Charming, a business consultant, pointed out, “The whole point is social distancing. By going to the store, you’re putting yourself in a position to expose other people or get exposed. That doesn’t seem like common sense.”
“The whole point is social distancing. By going to the store, you’re putting yourself in a position to expose other people or get exposed. That doesn’t seem like common sense.”- Robert Charming
Charming also believes that fear is making people irrational. Much of anxiety, hoarding, and fear is based around the people’s ability to listen only to its irrational “brain.” The logical “brain” tells us that buying just enough will be enough, while its irrational counterpart allows its owner to be fooled by the unnecessary panic of the coronavirus.
It is easy for people to get pulled into the worldwide hysteria surrounding COVID-19, but it is not healthy to allow it to take over the rational mind. The coronavirus is affecting every single person on this Earth, and while Zoom is profiting tremendously, Disneyland employees have lost all means of financial support. It is time to stop hoarding essentials and to start infusing normalcy and hope back into the world.
Comments