The dark side of Black Friday: If the shopping frenzy lets us forget the reality
It is the same spectacle every year: people plunge to the supposedly best offers like in intoxication, which dealers advertise with huge discounts. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all the other bargain days have firmly anchored in our heads-as days when we can “save” very big “. But what looks like a party for the wallet at first glance turns out to be a cleverly staged spectacle on closer inspection that is anything but harmless.
Illusion discounts
The discounts with which the dealers advertise are often nothing but an illusion. They play with our perception and use our weakness for large numbers. 50%, 70%, sometimes even 80%savings should make us believe that we would have done the business of our lives. But the truth looks different. Many of the products that focus on this day are either overpriced shopkeepers, the prices of which were previously artificially driven up, or outdated models that have long been replaced by better versions.
A study by the Idealo price comparison portal from 2022 showed that 63 % of the products on Black Friday were cheaper than in the previous month, but the average savings were only 6 %. Only 10 % of the offers showed a discount of over 20 %. A supposed bargain that is neither cheap nor particularly useful in reality – but we still grab in the heat of the moment. After all, the aggressive advertising suggests that we have to act quickly before it is too late. The marketing strategies on Black Friday deliberately focus on human psychology by creating a feeling of urgency and fear of missing something (“Fear of Missing Out”, Fomo).
Returns for the garbage
But it is not just our wallet that suffers from this consumer craze. The environment also pays a high price. Because behind every product purchased is a story that is often frightening. The production, transport and packaging of the goods cause massive environmental pollution. An investigation by money.co.uk from 2021 estimated that the deliveries of Black Friday sales in the UK caused over 429,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which corresponds to about 435 return flights from London to New York.
There are also the returns – a chapter in themselves. Many of the articles that are sent back after the bargain days do not end up in sales again, but directly in the trash. It is often not financially worthwhile for companies to process these products further. An incredible waste that further affects the planet that was already battered.
Avarice is cool?
However, this consumer excess has a different, less obvious consequence: it changes how we look at products. In a world in which everything is available at all times, we lose respect for the things we buy. Quality and durability take a back seat when the price is the only criterion. But this cheap mentality has its price that others have to pay – such as workers in the production countries, which often work under inhuman conditions to make our bargains possible.
And as if that weren’t enough, the Black Friday creates another problem: temptation to over -consumption. It is not the case that we actually need all the products we buy that day. Many soon land unused in the corner or will be thrown away after a short time. Mindfulness is in demand.
Dangerous Black Friday
Finally, we must not forget the dangers of digital Black Friday. With the shift of the discount battles to the Internet, new risks are added. Fraudsters take the opportunity to operate fake shops and phishing websites that can cost us not only the money but also our personal data. The dream of bargain can turn into a nightmare so quickly.
An investigation by Bolster Research (2020) showed that in the weeks ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 150,000 fake websites went online that were issued as supposed offers by well -known dealers such as Amazon or Ebay. The Hiscox insurance reported in 2022 that cyber attacks during the Black Friday Week 60 % climbed compared to the annual average. According to a report by RSA Security (2020), the number of so -called Carding attacks While Black Friday and Cyber Monday around 25 %because the increased number of transaction offers fraudsters a larger hiding place. A study by Lexisnexis (2022) put the losses through fraud in e-commerce around Black Friday worldwide 3.5 billion US dollars. This includes stolen goods, feedback and fake transactions.
Alternatives to Black Friday & Co
All of this raises the question: is it really worth it? Do we have to indulge in this compulsion to consumption every year? There are alternatives that show us that we can act differently. The “Buy Nothing Day” or the “Green Friday” set a sign against the frenzy of buying and remind us that it is more important to consume less and more consciously than blindly fall into the shopping craze.
The Buy Nothing Day Is a counter -movement to the consumer -oriented Black Friday and invites you to consciously forego the purchase of goods. It was launched in 1992 by the Canadian organization of Adbusters and takes place annually last Friday or Saturday in November. The aim is to draw attention to the negative effects of excessive consumption and to promote sustainable, resource -saving ways of life.
The Green Friday is a sustainable alternative to Black Friday, which calls for conscious consumption and environmental protection. Companies and organizations use this day to promote environmentally friendly products, to draw attention to sustainable practices or to donate part of their income for ecological projects. The aim of the Green Friday is to focus the focus of excessive consumption on a responsible handling of resources. It usually takes place on the same day as the Black Friday, i.e. on Friday after Thanksgiving.