The perpetually rising prices in every department store are hard to miss, and so are the effects of inflation on our pockets.
Black Friday is yet another covert example of this.
Without fail, Black Friday takes place on the last Friday of November each year.
For many, the greatly anticipated day may help fill the void that stretches between Halloween and Christmas.
On a personal note, many of my recent conversations have been peppered with the topic of Black Friday, and whether or not we’ve got our eyes on something special to buy.
Though despite the obvious appeal of the day, I was interested to find a handful of my peers and acquaintances having little to no interest in taking part.
I believe there is truth (and great irony for that matter) in admitting that Black Friday does encourage us to spend more than we usually do.
There is no doubt that social media influencers, and advertisements informing us on the latest “seasonal must-have” have played a significant role in shaping the panic, pandemonium and pressure that characterises Black Friday.
The stress of not wanting to miss out on a golden deal, coupled with the anxiety of having to make all your purchases across such a short span of time, creates the perfect formula sellers need to gain a huge profit.
It’s natural to find satisfaction in knowing you struck oil during your shopping spree.
But the problem seems to stem from when the majority of our purchases are made from a place of wanting to fit in or gain some imaginary social status due to owning a product from a brand, that we only care to invest in because our social milieu does.
Hence Marx coins the phrase ‘commodity fetishism’ where we are forced into purchasing products for the social benefits they come with.
Although, most of the problems attributed to Black Friday can be eliminated by simply taking a moment to think before you buy.
Alas, Black Friday is also filled with the excitement of finally being able to cross something off your wish list, and as someone currently waiting for a single special delivery, I’m in no place to judge.
So, out of tradition I must ask, did you get anything for Black Friday?
