Black Friday and Cyber Monday just marked the beginning of the spending spree we call the holidays.
People today, especially Americans, hardly need a reason to indulge in more tech, cosmetics and countless pieces of fast fashion that will inevitably be trashed or returned. In November and December, marketers get to tell us that the way we spend money is the visible manifestation of our love for friends and family.
The narrative change we see at the end of November would be sudden enough to give an onlooker whiplash if it wasn’t annual.
On the fourth Thursday of the month, millions of Americans go back to wherever they call home. We eat until we’re hardly mobile and revel in all the things and people we are so grateful to have.
It’s time to enjoy the good things, from pumpkin pie to your grandparents health, and ignore the bad things, from one genocide in our history books to the constant coverage of another on TV.
Right when we reach our highest state of thankfulness, we wake up from this carb-induced peace of mind and head straight to Target, Amazon.com, Bath and Body Works and the Apple store.
Before online shopping took over nearly every market, the most dedicated Black Friday shoppers set up camp outside their favorite stores as early as Thanksgiving night. We can barely be content with what we have for one day, then it’s time to buy as much as possible at the lowest imaginable price.
Walmart parking lot camping and flat screen TV fist fights are a rarity in 2023. Don’t let this convince you that Americans have become less focused on their consumption. Black Friday sales saw a record breaking $9.12 billion in profits last year, up from $8.92 billion in 2021.
We can’t see how grotesque this greed is. Holiday shopping hides in the thin sprit of giving.
For years, I have prided myself on my holiday gift-giving. I’ve loved the sales, the wrapping and fancy gift tags in case someone forgot that it was me who just handed the box to them. In college, a lot of that was lost.
This is arguably our most stressful time of the year. I know that my friends and I are focused on finishing final projects, studying for exams and seeing if we can make it between holidays without grocery shopping again.
I can hardly remember any Christmas presents I’ve given or received at Ferris. Still, I’ve never felt more in love with and valued than by my friends. It’s possible to give to your loved ones this year without adding to rapid-fire spending and returning
Instead of buying another reusable Starbucks cup because you know your best friend would love it, print out some of your favorite pictures with them. Odds are, they need the cup as much as Starbucks needs the extra profit.
I know from experience that there’s nothing a college-parent or even a significant other appreciates more than a hand-written letter.
Before you say goodbye to your roommates for the new year, you can all give back to each other by hosting a holiday dinner and cookie baking night. I guarantee it’ll be more memorable than a cheap candle or pair of fuzzy socks.
For the sake of our environment and our bank accounts, I invite everyone to find new ways to show their love and appreciation outside of cookie-cutter gift lists.