Megan's Weblog

Online Shopping

So, most people are aware of the exponential increase of the amount of shopping done in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some may even be aware of one of the busiest shopping days of the entire Christmas season, black Friday. It is a tradition that every year after Thanksgiving, businesses have massive sales to kick off the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Black Friday was first used in 1966 to equate the heavy traffic and crowded streets to the chaotic, stressful nature of Black Tuesday- the day the stock market crashed. In my family, it has been a tradition that every year we wake up at 4 in the morning and participate in the chaotic shopping. We enjoy going just for the deals and to watch the madness unfold.

However, technological evolution is greatly impacting the tradition that my mother and I have upheld for numerous years. This year, there was an increase in the amount of online sales that were conducted. My mother and I skipped out on the intense Black Friday shopping because she could get the same deals on the internet. She recently discovered the wonders of Amazon.com. However, as I laid in bed on Black Friday and thought about the online shopping, I wondered if technology was positively or negatively affecting my life. Black Friday is a family tradition and a bonding experience between my mother and me. Is making the same deals online really beneficial to families? Sure it decreases the amount of congestion and chaos on Black Friday, but is it worth comprimising the experience? Every year, I look forward to watching people go insane over crazy sales. It's not possible to do that online. I guess online shopping is more convenient, but I believe the holiday season is all about experiences, memories, and relationships- not great bargains.

Posted at 01:00PM Dec 06, 2008 by Megan Szakasits in General  |  Comments[0]