Black Friday...Online

As you all know, this past friday was one of, if not the most busiest shopping day of the entire year. The infamous....Black Friday. The stores open at ridiculously early hours of the morning, where they give out great deals on almost everything. It’s been a tradition for many people, to wake up early, and brave the crazy crowds of holiday shoppers in order to get 40%, 50% or even higher percentages off holiday purchases. However, this black friday tradition is changing. Why? Because of the internet. I noticed this while I was watching the news one day when there was a segment about online black friday shopping. Big name stores, and other smaller websites are now offering black friday discounts online; where people no longer need to bare the long lines and crazy crowds, but rather can shop in the convenience of their own home yet still receive generous discounts. I find this very interesting, that the famous black friday is now going web, and it makes me question the future of black friday shopping. It seems smart though, to widen the range of black friday shopping possibilities to customers who either might not physically by able to go out early friday morning, or to those customers stores would have lost because they didn’t find the need to stand in long lines and fight off crazy competing customers. Now, stores can grasp a lot more people and give out more discounts to a greater amount of people; turning an even greater profit. But at the same times, I feel that online black friday shopping could cause a problem to the traditions and thanksgiving celebrations. In the news segment I saw on TV, they said that some online stores were starting their online black friday sales the night before friday (thanksgiving evening). So that means customers would have to pause their thanksgiving-family-get-togethers to go shop online... This seems somewhat impolite to me. That now because of technology, we are focusing less on “family” time because of things happening on the internet. Also, I’ve noticed a trend in the times stores are becoming open on black friday morning. When I was a a young kid back in the late 90’s, stores opened at 7 am; which seemed really early at the time. But now stores are opening at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, or even starting their sales at midnight. Slowly and slowly the time is creeping earlier and earlier. Which makes me think, that soon, online black friday discounts and promotions will begin to creep earlier and earlier as well; encroaching on Thanksgiving (a time when we are supposed to be focusing on the things we are thankful for, not shopping.) I wouldn’t go as far as to blame the internet for causing this new phenomenon, but at the same time I do. Because the internet has indeed encroached on the way we live our lives; affecting our relationships, culture, and traditions. So I think it says a lot about our society if we begin online shopping on Thanksgiving evening; just so we can save a few dollars on a TV or toaster oven. What does this say about us. That we place higher value on material things such as technology over our family and friends? Or is this relatively newer approach to black friday shopping a social change that will benefit all.