6 Reasons Why You Should Boycott Black Friday & Cyber Monday This Year
The biggest sale weekend of the year is upon us.
When Black Friday dawns, millions of people will take part in the world's single greatest display of materialism.
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TL;DR Below are listed 6 reasons, both practical and politicalm to abstain from shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year.
What few realize, though, is that, in addition to its risks, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sensations have sweeping implications for our society and world.
Below are listed six reasons, both practical and political, to boycott both sale dates this year.
Black Friday is dangerous
There's literally a casualty count every year. Stampedes of people storm shopping centres, trash stores, and engage in physical altercations over material goods. Crowd mentality and Black Friday frenzy are real phenonmena! Protect yourself by staying home.
Both dates are evidence of an unhealthy society
The day after Americans express gratitude for their family and possessions on Thanksgiving, they engage in the single-biggest annual display of consumerism. The irony of this juxtaposition is well-publicized, but what many refuse to realize is the horrible hypocrisy of the situation. Black Friday makes a mockery of the values that Thanksgiving purports to represent.
In Canada, too, the growing popularity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is concerning. The dates are evidence of the corporate grip on every aspect of our society and cultural production.
Boycott the sale days to demonstrate your rejection of this sad spectacle.
Scammers are everywhere
Both in physical stores and online, scammers are out to trap you, and they often don't take the form you would imagine. In addition to shady online vendors, corporations will do whatever they can to make a sale.
One of the most common scams involves store sale posters. Stores will purposefully only keep a small supply of the items that their posters advertise, sell out quickly, and keep the signs up to lure customers inside and trap them with false promises of even better deals.
Beware, also, of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially when it comes to popular products. Sellers that advertise low prices on trendy items are probably peddling conterfeit material.
Read more about how to avoid scams and rip-offs on Black Friday and Cyber Monday here. It might be best, however, to wait until the hype subsides.
It's a vulgar display that undermines social integrity
Conspicuous consumption is the premise of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On these dates, shoppers are encouraged to outspend each other, demonstrate their superior skill, and beat each other to the best deals.
This competitive charge serves to divide consumers and empower corporations.
You can probably get better deals later in December
Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales can be misleading. Consumers may not actually be buying products at significant discounts. Sellers, both online and in shopping centres, will mark anything as a sale to attract buyers.
In fact, the best deals usually appear in the week before Christmas. Wait until then and watch as more gullible shoppers rush to make all their purchases on Friday and Monday.
It's wasteful
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have an environmental impact: old items are abandoned for the new; innumerable tons of plastic are discarded as waste; and many of the products shopper purchase are never even used. Billions of dollars are exchanged while across the continent many families go hungry during the holiday season. Refuse to take part in sale events and instead donate to charity or commit to reusable products and sustainable materials.
