ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hysterical contagion

Hysterical contagion is when a group of people act or feel the same way without any real reason. It's like a fake emotion that spreads like a virus. A good example of this is when someone in a crowd starts screaming. The screaming will often spread, and soon everyone in the crowd is screaming even if there's no reason to be scared.