2020 introduced itself as a year full of struggles society never thought it would face: as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic (otherwise known as COVID-19) the fear of the unknown overtakes the American population, rendering shelves of grocery stores empty and promoting the overload of groceries in their shopping carts. Under the fervor caused by this virus, the country seems to have lost their collective minds. 

    Never before did the shelves of Walmart contain only dust, and the fault lies entirely with grocery hoarding. As Americans prepare for quarantine and future shelter-in-place orders, shelves and fridges of groceries find themselves cleaned out, with prices only rising. Meanwhile, a slew of media posts spiraled around regarding the overreaction, greed and lack of general common sense that accompanies customers. 

    Though this may come as a shock to hoarders, stockpiling groceries does not classify as the solution to a global pandemic. Instead, grocery hoarding reveals a source of self-serving fuel that drives customers to hog unnecessary amounts of food and triggers a shortage of food supplies, leaving a lesser window for fellow shoppers. 

In a time of crisis, the government often prioritizes its essential resources, such as medical workers and food services. Therefore, shoppers must consider their essential groceries and recognize circumstances to help one another through quarantine. Before leaving to shop, creating a list of what and how much of each home item one needs will guide your experience, relieving the pressure of missing anything. No shopper needs to overbuy and leave groceries to waste because they go “bad.” Not only do the excess purchases come off as wasteful, but also insensitive to the less fortunate. There is no need for consumers to entitle themselves to more than needed, as there shows “no sign of disruption in the supply chain.”  

    So next time you go to the grocery store during quarantine, leave greed and selfish tendencies at home.