Black Listed

Today is Cyber Monday, the day Christmas shoppers can take to the Internet and get all of their stocking stuffers online at a deep discount. It follows a weekend of events including Small Business Saturday, Black Friday — oh, and that other holiday: Thanksgiving.

Five or six years ago, Black Friday shopping began in the wee hours of Friday morning. Waking up at 6 a.m. was considered crazy but necessary behavior if you wanted the best deals. Three or so years ago, midnight became the new fad.
Retailers have continued to push the limits, opening earlier and earlier, encroaching on Thanksgiving’s territory.

The imposition of capitalism and materialism on a day that is supposed to be meant for thankfulness and spending time with family has distressed many consumers, leading to heated backlash against the early openings.

Not only does Black Friday stand morally oppositional to the notion of Thanksgiving, but it also draws workers away from their families.

The concept of Black Friday was not one that arose out of the blue. It is a direct reaction by the producer to better reach its consumer. Demand has continued to increase, with shoppers willing to go to further and further lengths to get the best deals.

It isn’t up to the companies selling their products to decide how much of your Thanksgiving is given to retail rather than relatives. It is up to the customers to decide how much they are willing to allow.

Americans are faced with a decision, then. If enough of the population is upset by the intrusion upon Thanksgiving, then it is time for individuals to stand against the continually earlier start time.

Businesses were opening this year at 8 p.m. Thursday, not because of some malicious desire to steal you away from your family, but because you were waiting outside of their doors in the cold at 8 p.m. last year when they opened at 10 p.m.

Whatever they can do to get you into the store, they will do.

It is thus up to the customer to decide when the deals stop being sweet enough to outweigh the costs. If you stop showing up, they won’t open. It is truly that simple.

That isn’t to say that there wouldn’t be some loss of discounts. There may be some savings lost to someone more willing to forgo dessert with the family in favor of saving some dough. Yet, it only took a few years for the Black Friday monster to get to where it is. It would take only a few years of tough love by shoppers to right the ship for businesses and let them know the limit.

Black Friday offers many Americans the opportunity to provide holiday joy to friends and family in a way that would otherwise be financially irresponsible. The balancing act, though, comes into play when a person has to choose between the family they love and the material goods that will show that love.

­— azoot@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Austin Zoot on Twitter @austinzoot12.