JACK EVANS: Oh, a line.
I wonder where it goes.
Oh.
There's a lot of people in it, so it must be important.
And I hate missing out on things.
Oh, I'd better join it.
Hey, um, what's this line for?
I don't know, but look how long it is.
It must be good.
It might seem a little strange to join a line
without knowing where it leads,
but when you think about it, so is fighting over toilet paper
and buying as much as you can get your hands on
just because everyone else is.
Yep.
You've probably noticed that Australia is going through
a bit of a toilet paper crisis at the moment,
and we're not the only ones.
Over in the UK, shelves are emptying
as people stock up on the TP.
Many are worried about running out
if they have to stay home because of COVID-19,
and while experts say it isn't a bad idea to be prepared
and have a few extra essentials in the cupboard,
the way people were going about it got a little out of hand.
Hmm.
Hey, can you mind my spot?
I've got to go talk to an expert. OK.
I'll be right back. Sure.
Hello, Dr Connal Lee. Sorry to keep you waiting.
Hi, Jack. How are you? Good.
So, can you tell me,
why are people getting weird about toilet paper?
I'm not sure why toilet paper in particular,
as opposed to other sorts of things that you might stockpile.
I think early on in an emergency like this,
there's a lot of fear and a lot of uncertainty
about what's going to happen next,
and I think that people like to try and wrestle back
a little bit of control over their world
when they don't know what's going to happen.
And for some reason, it's been toilet roll,
which I think is also driven by a further issue
of other people doing it.
So, when you see other people doing something,
sometimes you go along with doing it as well.
Think of it as the cattle follow the herd,
or sheep follow the flock.
No matter where they go,
they just do what the others are doing.
Herd mentality can help to explain
why we tend to get a bit obsessed with things
that might seem a little silly.
Remember these, or this?
But it can also have some serious consequences.
Back in the 1930s,
there was a financial disaster in the US
because some people got worried about losing their money
and took it out of the bank.
Others saw that happening and followed,
until some banks eventually had to close
because they had no more money.
REPORTER: You've got to wonder
what's going on in these people's minds.
Herd mentality has also been used
to explain large groups acting violently or destructively.
You might have heard your mother say to you, you know,
"If everyone was jumping off the cliff,
"would you jump off the cliff as well?"
And what she's getting at there is the appeal to popularity
and its lack of rationality, if you will.
So, in cases like this, is this rational behaviour?
On some level, it is,
because it makes sense to try and control your world a little bit.
So, if you're at the supermarket,
you might pick up a couple of extra things.
When we see it on the level of entire shelves being cleared out,
then we get red flags,
I think, around whether or not people are thinking straight
and thinking in their best mind.
(LAUGHTER)
While the whole toilet paper thing
might have made for some funny videos...
(CHEERING)
..Dr Connal says it can be problematic.
It does create alarm if we see people behaving in this way,
because it suggests a certain level of panic.
Authorities are telling people they need to calm down
and to go about their...ahem, business as normal.
Meanwhile, toilet paper makers are working around the clock
to keep up with demand.
Some supermarkets have limited how much paper people can buy
to hopefully make sure there's enough for everyone's bottoms.
Well, thank you for that, but I better get going.
I've actually got a line that I'm waiting in.
What are you lining up for?
You know what? I don't actually know, but everyone else was doing it,
so I just joined.
Oh! Herd mentality.
Not going to be fooled by that one.
Although I do wonder what was at the end of that line.
Free toilet paper. Here you go. Take some toilet paper.
Oh, yeah. You look like you could use some.
Here. There you go. You want two? Hey, take two. No worries, eh.