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People Are Throwing Phones And Pooping At Concerts, And Experts Have A Theory Why

huffpost.com

Concert crowds are throwing phones and defecating in place — experts think anonymity in a mass crowd quietly dissolves normal social rules.

Deindividuation TheorySocial Norms TheoryCrowd PsychologyDiffusion of Responsibility
People Are Throwing Phones And Pooping At Concerts, And Experts Have A Theory Why

Theory Briefing

  • Large concert crowds create a sense of anonymity that loosens the social norms people follow in everyday life.
  • Phone-throwing at performers has become a documented trend, alongside reports of concertgoers relieving themselves rather than leaving for bathrooms.
  • Experts suggest the shared emotional intensity of a live show can make individual accountability feel distant or irrelevant.
  • Noah Kahan is cited as an example of an artist whose fans reportedly won't leave even for a bathroom break.