Arendt, Martin weigh in for TV news story on world of so-called ‘preppers’

As we told you here last week, Profs. Lucy Arendt and Ryan Martin were featured in a Friday (Feb. 1) WBAY, Channel 2 News story focusing on the world of so-called “preppers” — individuals who stockpile food and emergency supplies in case of a natural disaster or government collapse. Channel 2’s Matt Smith talked to Arendt, a disaster response expert, and Martin, chair of Psychology, for their respective takes on the phenomenon. “There’s a great willingness to share information with one another, and share knowledge with one another,” Martin said, “but no willingness to share resources.” Arendt added that one of the reasons people talk about prepping is a perceived lack of control. “The world is chaotic and scary and when people feel like there’s too much uncertainty to handle, they’ll do whatever they can to try to exert control over what’s happening in their lives,” she said. “That includes preparing for something that may in fact never happen. Full story.