While dinner hosts are clearing the table after feasting on the meal that they took all day to perfect, their guests are leaving with full stomachs but hunger in their eyes for they are scouting out all of the Black Friday deals.
The hard work of dinner guests is overlooked by eager Black Friday shoppers who can only focus on meticulously mapping out the best route to scour the maximum number of stores. The concept of Black Friday just shows how selfish human beings can be.
Here are 8 reasons why Black Friday is a ridiculous "holiday."
1. It has begun consuming Thanksgiving.
Many retailers have realized that they can draw large crowds into their stores earlier and earlier. Initially opening at wee hours of the morning, store hours have now extended into the evening of Thanksgiving to let the hordes of shoppers stampede through the store. Retail workers should be able to spend time with their families over the holidays instead of being deprived of this special family time in order for stores to make a few extra bucks.
2. It defeats the thanks you give the day prior.
The main issue with Black Friday is the fact that it falls on the day after Thanksgiving. You spend one day saying that you are thankful for everything you have, then the next day (or even the same night) you go out to buy materialistic items.
The air of Thanksgiving is a wonderful thing and is something everyone should embrace daily, but all of that is counteracted by the horrible attitudes people possess, disagreements that occur, brawls that break out, and even deaths as a result of Black Friday.
3. It helps to commercialize Christmas.
Christmas, originally a time to celebrate family, friends, love, and religion, has turned to a competition of who gets the best gifts. Black Friday has helped to turn this sacred time into just another day of greed and materialistic views, enacting the issue of politics and capitalism.
4. It brings out the worst in human nature.
This day of “great sales” brings out unnecessary violence in a world that is already too hostile. While there are a few cases of death (people being trampled to death, a customer was stepped over/ignored after collapsing ended up dying, etc.) and many instances of injury, unintentionally or not, there are countless screaming matches and out of control arguments over virtually nothing of great importance.
5. Your time could be better spent.
If you are lucky enough to have off work and are not spending this valuable time with your loved ones, then you are doing something wrong. It isn’t every day that people get to spend time together, so why waste it on a day of fighting instead of loving?
6. You don't need half of the things you will buy.
While these greatly marketed and extravagant advertisements may entice you to go check out the sales, you have to think about if you really need the things you are buying. Is it actually necessary for you to buy three hair dryers because you got a great deal? You don’t need to have a backup for a backup of this “great item.”
Also, if you go into a store and they do not have what you are looking for, chances are you are going to follow the crowd and continue to browse other possible deals.
Especially when waiting in long lines, you tend to spend a lot more time looking at specific things that are strategically placed near the check-out counter. You will look at these things for so long that you will convince yourself you need it when you know that in reality you will never use that product.
7. The ratio between the crowds and the merchandise is disproportionate.
The promise of getting a luxury item for super cheap on Black Friday is highly unlikely. Considering that a lot of stores do not have astonishingly low prices to begin with, the few items that are a good deal are just that: few.
Most retailers only advertise the cheapest of their items, and do not tell you that the rest is not going to be that great of a deal. Also, those flat screen TVs and gaming consoles that people fist fight over?
There are so few of them in the store that it really is not worth trying to get. The ratio between the number of a certain item and the number of people who go to the store to get that specific item are virtually incomparable and disproportionate.
8. The sales aren't even that good.
A lot of times (even on regular days) the “sales” are advertised to be a much better deal than they realistically are. These “doorbuster sales!” and “hottest deals of the year!” most likely are not even as good as retailers want to make them seem.
Things will be overpriced to begin with to make it seem like you are getting a better percentage off. Additionally, the best sales of the season are not restricted to the day after Thanksgiving.
There are so many times throughout the year that you can get deals better than ones you would get on Black Friday, and you don’t even have to swim in a crowd full of people to find it.
Just do some research and be thrifty and you may come out with an even better deal on a normal day of the year.
