With the winter holidays fast approaching, millions of people all over the world are heading in droves to Amazon and malls for gifts. However, does this obsession with material items take away from the holidays? Do we overdo it?
The simple answer is absolutely. We now begin looking months in advance for even a chance of getting the multitude of hottest new things. Many may say that gift-giving is a form of love, so what’s wrong with it? While this is true when it comes to the holidays, gift-giving is overdone and convoluted. People no longer think of what would mean the most to the person they’re shopping for. Instead, they become caught up in the pile of the newest things everyone else is pining over.
But what has caused this type of thinking?
What has Caused the focus on gifts?
With the rage of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other major holiday deals, people become crazed about gifts. They see these deals for the newest, flashiest things and jump on them. It has gotten so bad that stampedes have occurred years in a row, always shown jokingly on the news. However, this is a serious issue that has impacted society’s idea of the holidays.
the damaging effects
When people go back home, instead of focusing on family they will be focusing on when to get to the nearest store so they can buy as many things as quickly as they can. In addition, many stores stay open on these winter holidays, putting employees in a position to work rather than be home with their families. No matter which holiday you celebrate in the winter months, it is a time when family and friends get together. When the winter holidays no longer become about that and more so about material things, they lose their meaning and importance.
However, It’s Not Everyone…
There’s a disclaimer I do want to state: for some, Black Friday is an opportunity to get gifts for their families they could not afford otherwise. They are not the issue, the issue is that others use Black Friday as an excuse to over-consume the latest things for themselves and others that will likely not get used.
Overall, this craze around these deals also causes major neglect of the holidays. With the focus being on getting the newest thing for everyone, one neglects to spend time with family or stops caring about it. We must remember that true togetherness makes any good holiday: not the latest deals and commodities.