Consumerist holidays celebrate American materialism

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are often considered to be the shopping world’s “holidays,” with Americans spending hundreds of dollars each over the entire weekend. The term Black Friday was first coined by police in Philadelphia, after they continuously found themselves resolving the conflicts of crowds of shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Stores soon caught wind of these trends, and reinvented the day, making it something positive as they started to open early on Black Friday in order to meet the demands of customers.

As the use of technology has become increasingly popular, much of the Black Friday shopping has moved online as a result. The National Retail Federation first recognized Cyber Monday as the digital version of Black Friday in 2005, allowing people to complete their Holiday Shopping from anywhere, while still enjoying the same deals as Black Friday shoppers would. This year, Black Friday fell on November 24th and Cyber Monday happens today. 

For years, customers have been wondering whether or not Black Friday or Cyber Monday are worth it, and whether or not it is a scam by the corporate world in order to increase revenue, ultimately encouraging the unhealthy spending habits of consumers. On days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, companies expect to sell far more products than on a typical day, allowing them to lower the retail price and still bring in the same amount of profit. A majority of products are also cheaper to produce in mass quantities, bringing the cost to make the item down as well.

All of this benefits the customer without much risk to the seller, but what about the environment? According to Green Alliance, nearly 80% of items bought on Black Friday are discarded after a mere few uses, not to mention the packaging that inevitably ends up in landfills. While parents may be cheering because they got their child’s dream present for half the price, Mother Nature is weeping as she continues to be harmed, waste increasing around 25% between Black Friday and the New Year.

Thankfully, the environmental impacts of Cyber Monday aren’t quite as bad. Those who partake in the holiday have the ability to complete all of their shopping online, avoiding the stress of in-person shopping. While shopping online, consumers eliminate the stress of finding a parking space, running around stores trying to get a hold of their needed items, and waiting in excruciatingly long lines at check-out. However, the scariest part of all, especially for employees, is the initial opening of the stores, which tends to bring out unruly, violent behavior. The first death related to Black Friday was reported in 2008, when a Walmart employee in Long Island was trampled while opening the store. Since then, 16 additional people have been killed as a result of the “spend to save” mindset so many consumers have.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not the only special days after Thanksgiving as three more days have been coined by various organizations, though they’re not as widely known. One of these days is Small Business Saturday, which is a campaign launched in 2010 by American Express in order to encourage shoppers to go local instead of buying from massive retailers. The second day to be coined was Giving Tuesday, which was first recognized in 2012. Members of the Belfer Center for Innovation created it as a day for people to give to the less fortunate during the holiday season, encouraging charitable donations be made around the country. SecondHand Sunday is the most recent day to be created, as it was first coined by Poshmark in 2022. SecondHand Sunday has a double meaning behind it, the first attempting to erase the stigma behind regifting, and the second attempting to encourage holiday shopping from second hand retailers, which is not only more environmentally-friendly, but generally cheaper than shopping firsthand. 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have no big differences aside from a few details, and the one you choose to shop on all comes down to personal preference. Whether you decide to shop on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or give back to the community by supporting local businesses, all that matters is that consumers take advantage of the spectacularly good deals, and stay safe while doing so.

By Henry Bongers

Published November 27 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue II