On the night of Thanksgiving last year, I didn't get a wink of sleep. I did shots of expresso and slapped myself awake every once in a while. When the clock finally struck 3, I threw my caffeinated body into my freezing car and picked up my equally zombie-like friends. A few moments later, we arrived at a local mall, which was already bustling with activity. Finding parking was painful, but we were prepared for this. Black Friday comes just once a year, we told ourselves. It's time to get our game faces on.
According to this CNN article, this yearly tradition is on the brink of extinction. And even worse, getting trampled on by flocks of rowdy, shop-crazy tweens at H&M at 4 in the morning could've all been in vain -- thanks to the ever-becoming trend of online shopping. According to the article, online shopping is not only much more convenient, it's where all the best deals are. And while Black Friday lasts just one day (or in many cases, just a limited span in the wee-hours), online sales aren't tied to specific days. This holiday season, analysts are predicting a 9 to 16 percent increase in online sales compared to a mere 2 to 3 percent increase in real-world spending.
This trend adds to my growing concern that everything is going virtual, and we're going to stop experiencing things in real time. With the Web, the world is filled with numerous opportunities for new interactions, new experiences, new niches, but it's not the same as really being there. Many of my favorite memories come from nights like last Black Friday, when at one point, my friends and I -- delirious from lack of sleep -- were fighting off fellow shoppers with such silly tenacity that we laughed ourselves to tears. And at the end of the shopping frenzy, we'd come out with such proud grins on our ashy faces and dark rings around our eyes. True, the deals found during Black Friday are amazing, but I think that's only half the reason why the sleepless night is be worth it. After all, long-lasting memories aren't made from convenience but from fighting some sort of obstacle.
In just five years, I doubt Black Friday will still be around. We'll one day tell our kids about our crazy Black Friday stories, and they'll just stare back blankly, unable to comprehend a concept as ancient as shopping without the click of a mouse. Soon, everything will be done on the Web. Sure, I'll appreciate the few extra hours of sleep in my warm bed, but I'm definitely going to miss these nights.
For all of the CNN stories and newspaper articles I've had to suffer through about black friday trampling, this is the first true account of a Black Friday moonlighter that I have actually heard. That being said, I never would have thought that Black Friday would have brought out such a communal bond amongst shoppers, or even good memories from shoppers, but I guess thats's why you are capable of lining up and I am not.
ReplyDeleteI also do agree that the web has taken away many of the face to face liberties of human interaction. But just as people were worried that the normal land-line telephone would replace normal conversation back in the 1800's, our society has found ways to manage and maintain interaction. We will always like face-to-face interaction more, no matter how much the web can open up new doors. It just may be a video chat. Oh well.
I get what you're saying about everything going virtual because I have that same fear. The Internet in general has taken the place of many face-to-face interactions between people.
ReplyDeleteBut in regards to Black Friday, that day shouldn't even exist in the first place. What it represents is mindless consumerism. Christmas has become a holiday that no longer focuses on family values and togetherness, but rather focuses on shopping. It was just ridiculous how many people skipped Thanksgiving to spend the night in line for places like Best Buy. So in the case of Black Friday and the Internet, I almost think its better to shop online, so at least that way you wont catch cold, and you can also spend time with your family at least.
I have never felt compelled to go shopping on Black Friday simply because I cannot stand shopping with hundreds of people around me. I think that your post proves a valid point that it is a scary though to think that everything is going virtual and that things that should probably be experienced in real life are slowly becoming web-based. I think shopping online is very convenient but sometimes you really have to try something on in order to understand the fit, fabric, etc. It will be interesting to see if online shopping ends up trumping in-store shopping because sometimes shopping in person is necessary.
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