The glorious day of Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Nothing tops dedicating a whole day to eating platefuls of food, drinking wine and watching football. Thanksgiving is a timeless holiday where we take a moment to slow down, be with the people we love and be thankful for everything we have. Unfortunately, some people are not thankful for what they have. They just want more, which in turn, has cast a dark shadow over Thanksgiving, rendering it less meaningful. This shadow is caused by none other than the dreadful day after Turkey Day: Black Friday.
Over the years, the value that has been placed on Black Friday has increased exponentially as more people are looking to get a great deal or bargain for their Christmas presents. How can people resist when companies like Wal-Mart are offering 50-inch LED HD Televisions for $218, HP Touch Laptops for $249 and RCA Google Play Wi-Fi Tablets for an astonishingly low $29? You’d be considered insane not to want to try to get great prices on items like these. But this “insanity” has done a 180, and the obsession with Black Friday has led to unintended consequences.
We are so infatuated with Black Friday that some people have already been camping outside retailers to ensure they are the first one in the store to snag that incredible deal. As most of you are probably aware, when retailers offer such a great price on a product, they don’t have an unlimited quantity of that item. And if you’re not the first one in the store, chances are your opportunity will be blown. That’s why some people, like Derek De Armond in Fort Meyers, have already begun camping outside a Best Buy. De Armond set up his tent Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. and is rotating shifts with friends to keep his spot in line.
How have we gotten to the point where we are camping outside stores to buy things? As Americans, we have allowed ourselves to become so self-absorbed, priding ourselves on our material possessions because we think it adds value to who we are as people. If we don’t have the latest iPhone, the newest laptop or the updated tablet, we feel obsolete and inferior. Black Friday has only exacerbated this learned condition, and at the same time, putting Thanksgiving in the background.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Many more serious problems come with Black Friday. Retailers love Black Friday, as they should: Last year, people spent $57.4 billion on Black Friday alone. While this boost to the economy is welcome, we sacrifice a lot for it, including the safety of others.
In 2011, a man collapsed at a Black Friday event at a Target in West Virginia, unnoticed by staff or shoppers. Some people even stepped over his body to continue their shopping. He later died at the hospital.
In 2008, at a Wal-Mart in New York, a man was killed by an out-of-control mob that broke the doors off its hinges to get inside. He was trampled to death by more than 200 crazy shoppers. At the same store, four others were injured, including a woman who was eight months pregnant.
As of 2013, 90 people have been injured because of Black Friday, and seven have died.
Yet the madness continues because who cares about the well-being of our fellow man when you can get a $200 iPad? We’ve allowed our society to prioritize materialism over public safety, and it’s a trend that doesn’t concern most people. According to the National Retail Federation, more than 140 million people will shop this Thanksgiving weekend, which gives stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Sears and others all the motivation they need to open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Additionally, Kmart seems to have no regard for its employees at all, as its stores will be open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
Don’t give into the lunacy that is Black Friday. If we demand it as a society, corporations will supply it. If you really want to help a local patron, maybe consider participating in Small Business Saturday this weekend. Let’s refocus and not forget about Thanksgiving, which is supposed to be about family and friends, not televisions and tablets.
Nick Eagle is a UF economics and political science senior. His columns appear on Mondays.
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 11/24/2014]
[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]
