The Real Reason People Are Buying So Much Water

With COVID-19 spreading across the world, a lot of people are starting to panic. Many are starting to stock up on household essentials in an effort to practice social distancing and avoid leaving their homes as much as possible in the coming weeks.

While it's understandable why people are stocking up on food, why are they stocking up on water, even in places that have access to safe and clean drinking water from the tap? Is there actually a need to stock up on bottled water?

"The question is… no."

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's emergencies and disaster preparation website, Ready.gov, you only really need a two-week supply of food and water stored at your home. So why are the masses determined to buy dozens of cases of water at a time? The reason is more psychological than practical. Psychologist Paul Marsden told CNBC,

"It's about 'taking back control' in a world where you feel out of control."

Social psychology professor Sander van der Linden said that the way the coronavirus pandemic is being handled in the U.S. is making people panic even more, leading to them buying goods to feel more secure. He said:

"In the U.S., people are receiving conflicting messages from the CDC and the Trump administration. When one organization is saying it's urgent and another says it's under control, it makes people worry."

Van der Linden added that other people are stockpiling things like water simply because that's what they see others around them doing. Experts agree that in the current coronavirus pandemic, there's no real need to stockpile bottled water out of a fear that your water supply will be shut off. While it's always a good idea to have a small store of bottled water on hand in the case of natural disasters, the coronavirus doesn't pose the same threat.

Water isn't the only thing that people are stockpiling. There are a lot of things that people are buying in bulk that they simply don't need. Pandemic planner and crisis management expert Regina Phelps told CNBC Make It:

"Right now, people are doing incredibly silly things," Keep watching the video to see the real reason people are buying so much water.

#Coronavirus #Covid19hoarding

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