Understanding Moral Panic

Moral panic emerges from real events, yet it distorts perceptions by exaggerating their frequency and implications. Adrian Daub explains that a typical moral panic, unlike sheer mass hysteria, stems from a basis of verified concerns before spiraling into broader, often apocalyptic fears. These fears can manifest as beliefs that the issue is more rampant than it is or will escalate significantly in the future. This process can lead society to interpret isolated incidents as symptomatic of deeper societal problems, ultimately disconnecting the panic from the actual frequency of occurrences.