Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day: Which side of consumerism do you fall on?

Overconsumerism - whether on social media, online shopping platforms and physical stores - has been an ongoing trend for the last few years, made worse by the rise of social media, influencers, frequent deals and marketing campaigns.

Major shopping events such as Black Friday, taking place tomorrow and kicking off the start of the annual holiday shopping season, have also exacerbated the issue.

Previously only a single-day event, Black Friday now includes an entire weekend, taking in Cyber Monday as well. In some regions, this goes on for a full week, known as Cyber Week.

However, now, more anti-consumerism movements have emerged to counter Black Friday and the overall global spending and consumption culture. One of the most prominent movements is Buy Nothing Day, which takes place on the same day as Black Friday.

What is Buy Nothing Day?

Buy Nothing Day is an international protest day against widespread global consumerism. It encourages participants to pledge to not buy anything for 24 hours, both online and in-person, in order to raise awareness about the harmful effects of too much consumption.

Started back in 1992 by Canadian artist Ted Dave, it was further popularised by anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters.

Since its launch, the movement has spread to more than 60 countries worldwide.

It also encourages people to reduce waste and consider their overall spending habits. Participants can help decrease packaging waste, along with shipping and manufacturing carbon footprints.

The day also encourages prioritising more meaningful, non-commercial activities, to invest in a stronger community and reexamine the relationship between materialism and happiness. This includes spending time with pets, friends and family, participating in community events and going for walks outside.

Buy Nothing Day also ties into wider issues such as social inequality and environmental impact. It raises awareness for reuse and secondhand charities, which prevent items from going into landfills, while also helping low-income households.

By being on the same day as Black Friday, it has emerged as a true antidote to worldwide shopping culture and has gathered quite a few followers over the years - but has also significantly divided the internet.

Some social media users agree with the concept of frugality, mindful spending, thrift culture and sustainable buying. Others fall more into the YOLO camp, and Little Treat culture. They believe that since larger life goals such as buying a house and saving enough for retirement are out of reach for much of the younger generations, smaller treats like shopping sprees shouldn’t be frowned upon.

The explosion of anti-consumerist movements

This year, Black Friday has seen more controversy than usual, with a marked surge in more anti-consumerist movements and boycotts. This includes Buy Nothing Day, “We Ain’t Buying It” and “Make Amazon Pay Day”, all on or around Black Friday.

A mass blackout has also been launched from 25 November to 1 December, mainly targeting large corporations like Amazon, Home Depot and Target, among others. This is to protest labour rights violations, the retail chains’ support of Donald Trump, as well as their backtracking from diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

“Amazon, Jeff Bezos and their political allies are betting on a techno-authoritarian future, but this Make Amazon Pay Day, workers everywhere are saying: enough,” Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, said in a press release.

“For years, Amazon has squashed workers’ right to democracy on the job through a union and the backing of authoritarian political figures. Its model is deepening inequality and undermining the fundamental rights of workers to organise, bargain collectively and demand safe, fair workplaces.”

These anti-consumerist and boycott campaigns also aim to encourage shoppers to support local, sustainable and second-hand small businesses, especially those which are Black, immigrant or minority-owned, and those which have resisted Trump’s influence so far.