By Alyssa Luk
Christmas is a holiday where young children receive gifts But in the present, Christmas has been seen more as a way to spend money rather than the holiday itself. This article will discuss the reasons behind consumerism as well as some methods we can use.
Black Friday is the beginning of Christmas shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In recent times, it’s to try and encourage people to spend more money as they are already in the “holiday mood”. With social media, it’s easier for advertisers to show more products to consumers on Black Friday. Things such as cell phones and smart TVs are becoming increasingly popular during this time period. In 2020, the three most popular technology presents were TVs, smartphones, and smartwatches.
Although cutting down on consumption may seem easier said than done, there are some ways we can do this.
Firstly, we can make shopping lists beforehand. When doing Christmas shopping, it’s easy to make a lot of impulsive decisions. However, if there is a list that can be adhered to, it helps lower stress as well as limit how much is being spent.
Another thing we can do is handmade gifts. Because handmade gifts can be more personalized and special, they also appeal more to the values of Christmas. It’s also much more cost-effective and it saves money. These gifts can include baked goods, photo albums, handmade accessories, and more.
With the holiday season being so close, it’s important for us to be more aware when making choices on our purchases. Although there may be a large sense of pressure to keep up with gifts and overspend on unnecessary items, we should still try to cut down on these things, and spend Christmas as it was meant to be; with family and loved ones.
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Works Cited
Gingras, Chantal. “11 Ways to Resist Christmas Consumerism.” Ginsberg Gingras, 7 Dec. 2015, https://ginsberg- gingras.com/en/11-ways-to-resist-christmas-consumerism/.
Moraes, Caroline, and Isabelle Szmigin. “Has Consumerism Taken over Christmas? Two Marketing Experts Discuss.” The Conversation, http://theconversation.com/has-consumerism-taken-over-christmas-two-marketing-experts-discuss-108618. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
Portillo, Frank. “Consumerism Culture Is Dangerous to the True Meaning of Christmas.” Daily Titan, https://dailytitan.com/opinion/consumerism-culture-is-dangerous-to-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/article_db409d38-4279-11ec-9836-379528e1f4cf.html. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
“How to Save Christmas from Consumerism.” Grist, https://grist.org/guides/2021-holiday-makeover/how-to-save-christmas-from-consumerism/. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
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