Black Friday and Consumerism: The Hidden Battle for Your Happiness and Wallet. What’s in your Wallet?
What is Black Friday? Is it a woke remake of His Girl Friday? No, but don’t be surprised if Hollywood eventually tries it. Black Friday marks something darker and more sinister than its name suggests: a day wrapped in excitement but built on false promises. Beneath the doorbuster deals and long lines lies a society chasing happiness through shopping, status, and accumulations often at the cost of dignity and peace.
The day thrives on discontent, detachment, & disillusionment. It pushes the lie that more stuff—more savings, more approval—can solve life’s problems. But the rush fades fast. The things bought, no matter how cheap, never fill the emptiness they are meant to fix.
For many, Black Friday feels like a chore. Families stretch tight budgets, fight crowds, and scramble for scarce items. It reveals consumerism’s ugliest side: a race for material goods that leaves people stressed, broke, and empty. Fight Club put it best: “We are a by-product of a lifestyle obsession.”
The unhappiness and discontent does not stop with one day. Black Friday is a culture obsessed with “things” and “stuff” drifting further from real connection and meaning. It is not just a shopping event; it is a mirror reflecting consumerism’s grip on modern life.
The term “Black Friday” originated in the 1960s when retailers used it to describe the day they moved “into the black”—turning a profit for the year. Since then, it has become a cornerstone of consumer culture and an economic bellwether. Retailers track spending to gauge trends, while economists use it to measure consumer confidence. But Black Friday is not just about numbers; it reveals a society tangled in hyper-consumerism, where identity gets tied to what people buy.
Philosopher Pier Paolo Pasolini warned about over consumption forty years ago. He saw consumer culture as mind control, replacing real values with fake ones. He called it “the genocide of the real living cultures of the past.” Black Friday proves his point. People trade dignity, connection, and peace for cheap goods that lose its value before the year ends.
At its core, consumerism sells a lie: happiness comes from things. It traps people in a cycle of chasing the next “must have” while ignoring emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. Advertisements tie self-worth to consumption, turning life into a quest for “stuff” and “things.” Yet the joy from buying fades fast, replaced by longing for something new.
French philosopher Jean Baudrillard described this cycle. He argued that consumerism reduces life to commodities. Relationships and achievements become things to acquire, measure, and compare. This mindset wrecks meaningful connections and keeps people stuck in competition, making happiness feel unreachable. Marketing exploits this insecurity, amplifying feelings of scarcity and inadequacy. People buy more, trying to fill the void, but the emptiness deepens.
Consumerism does not just promote more material goods—it promotes a way of seeing the world. It blinds people to simple joys like gratitude and connection. Instead, it fuels a race for instant gratification, replacing long-term fulfillment with fleeting satisfaction. The cycle undermines not just individual well-being but also the deeper bonds that make life rich.
Psychologist Dr. Melissa Norberg studies this impact. She explains how sales like Black Friday encourage habits that drain finances and emotions. Buying on sale is not wrong, but overdoing it creates the very stress people hope to avoid. She emphasizes the need to understand why we buy—whether out of need, excitement, or fear of missing out. These urges, ingrained over the years, can be tough to break.
Dr. Norberg also warns about fear-based buying. During the pandemic, panic buying created real shortages for those who needed essentials. The same fear drives holiday shopping frenzies, where people chase limited-edition items they do not need. Her advice? Start small: make a list, stick to it, and resist unnecessary deals. Over time, it becomes easier to take control of consumption.
“Consumerism is capitalism’s Frankenstein” captures the idea that while consumerism stems from capitalism’s design, it has grown into an uncontrollable, destructive, and consuming force, threatening the very values it claims to uphold. If unchecked, it consumes not just resources but also the essence of human connection and fulfillment. But what can we do? A few solutions emerge, though none are simple or quick.
First, individuals must reclaim their sense of identity beyond what they own. This means asking hard questions: Do I need this, or have I been told I should want it? By detaching from the constant chase for the “next thing,” people can focus on building a life that prioritises meaning over material.
Second, education plays a critical role. Teaching financial literacy and media awareness helps individuals see through manipulative advertising and avoid the debt traps that often accompanies consumer culture. Schools and communities should encourage a dialogue about the impact of hyper-consumption on both personal well-being and the planet.
Third, society needs to shift its values. Instead of idolizing wealth and possessions, communities could celebrate creativity, relationships, and service. This shift requires leaders—from policymakers to influencers—to model these values and challenge the prevailing narrative that buying more equates to living better.
Finally, systemic change is crucial. Regulations on exploitative advertising, particularly those targeting vulnerable populations, could reduce consumerism’s reach. Supporting local businesses and ethical production over global conglomerates fosters community and sustainability, challenging the cycle of cheap goods produced at high social and environmental costs.
Consumerism may be capitalism’s Frankenstein, but unlike the monster in Shelley’s tale, we are not powerless. It demands effort at every level—personal, cultural, and systemic. The key lies in realising that fulfilment does not come from what we own but from how we live and connect with the world around us.
Black Friday offers more than a snapshot of economic trends. It exposes how consumerism shapes identities, disconnecting people from what matters. In a world where life revolves around things, individuality, community, and meaning get lost. Consumerism promises joy but delivers emptiness, leaving people chasing a happiness that never comes.
2024© ElbyJames CC BY-SA
