The Madness of Black Friday

This week is relatively light for me in terms of schoolwork and exams. I am very much looking forward to Thanksgiving break, it is much needed based on the past week I had. Usually, my family and I go to Milwaukee to visit family friends every year, but this year, we are staying at home in Michigan. This year, I am going to attempt to participate in the madness that is Black Friday. Usually, I go shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I’m not one of those hardcore shoppers who gets up at 4 am and camps out outside of Best Buy waiting for the doors to open. I personally don’t want to battle out hundreds of people over saving a few dollars. Usually I just go to the mall around 10 or 11 am and there are still plenty of great deals so I take what I can get. However, this year, my mom and I are planning on hitting up the mall at 8 a.m. to try our luck at some great deals. I am preparing myself for some mad aggression and fighting off some intense shoppers.

I think it is interesting to see how Black Friday can bring out the worst in some people and how, for those few hours, their social identities completely change. All sorts of people wait outside of stores in the early morning hours to hopefully save lots of money. Generally, these are nice people: they could be kind mothers waiting to buy toys and clothes for their children, men waiting in line to buy jewelry for their wives, teenagers looking to buy Christmas presents. Yet as they all gather together and fiercely compete for the same goal, these people start to get nasty and aggressive. They will use rude language as they shove aside all others, thinking only of themselves and how fast they can get into the store. Just a few days ago, I was reading a CNN article about how a Wal-Mart security guard got trampled to death during a Black Friday stampede. The picture above is just one example of how chaotic crowds can form in front of stores as shoppers fend each other off for the best deals. While I understand that saving money is very important, especially given the state of the economy, I really don’t think it is necessary to lose common respect for others and disregard human values. Yes, I know that it is a dog-eat-dog world, and sometimes you have to put yourself first, but it any appliance, electronic, or clothing item really so important that you have to physically hurt others to get it? I think it is still possible to maintain composure and a respectful social identity while trying to obtain the same products that others are fighting for. I guess I will experience the true notion of Black Friday in just a few days. Bring on the battle scars.