Are We Catching Other People's Emotions?

We are hearing reactions that were recorded decades ago. Comedies are still using these laughs because they work. How can the pre recorded laughter of dead people i've never met affect my experience of a mostly not funny television show to day? I mean, are we literally catching other people's emotions like the common cold? And if we are, how can we inoculate ourselves against the sorts of feelings we might not want to catch from other people? Our minds are constantly telling us what to do to be happy. What if our minds are lying to us us away from what will really make us happy? The good news is that understanding the science of the mind can point us all back in the right