Consumerism

What does it say about our society that we appear to value shopping more than family? Then again the idea of selflessness has slowly been leached out of our psyche too.

As more and more stores are open on Thanksgiving Day for deal shopping and more and more people are willing to camp out in front of stores for days just to save a few bucks on a television, I’m afraid that the idea of a family holiday is on the verge of extinction. For years I worked in a retail environment where I witnessed firsthand people physically assaulting each other over a DVD player or complete strangers cursing one another in front of their tired children over who should get the last popular Christmas toy of the year. I guess I never got on board the hyped up bandwagon of Black Friday Shopping, and still don’t understand why people would be willing to sacrifice a day they should be spending with family and good friends to stand outside in the cold and wait for the store doors to open. Personally I’d rather be eating more pumpkin pie, turkey sandwiches and playing games.

I know that other parts of the world have holidays that have gone the wayside due to increasingly subversive ideas of consumer-driven economics, and funnily we all fell flat on our asses when that bubble burst a couple years ago during, arguably, one of the worst global recessions (and in some cases depressions) in history. Yet recent events don’t seem to faze many retailers and shoppers alike, as many of them were open on a national holiday so people could spend money they probably should be putting towards paying their bills. With unemployment as high as it is in this country I’m surprised at the sheer amount of high-end electronics that are being pushed. But then again, on the other end of that are the manufacturers of those high-end electronics whose jobs are on the line because they have an overstock they need to get rid of or risk even more job losses.

Of course, right now I’m sitting here blogging on a laptop computer, listening to Christmas music on a replica of an old Crosley radio with our 50 inch high definition television staring at me through the corner of my eye. I’m not saying that I’m a pedagogical example of anti-consumerism, but I also know that these items were purchased at a time we were financially able to afford them. Yes, I realize there are good deals to be found today in all sorts of purchasing categories, but honestly I don’t understand running the risk of coma, death or dismemberment for a new TV that in a couple weeks will probably be priced lower just to get rid of them. I’d rather be in my warm house cleaning up after a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.