Has The Internet Ruined Black Friday?

YES:

Waking up at 3 a.m. on Black Friday used to bring such a rush. The weeks prior were spent scrounging up cash, raking through ads and strategizing the perfect game plan. Now, there’s no buzz, no waiting in line and no sales worth my while — and I blame the internet. 

While it may be convenient to shop online, the sales are blatantly worse. In the 2010s, the prime of Black Friday, “doorbuster” sales had people up at 4 a.m., pining for the chance of 60% off a TV or 40% off the newest iPad. 

Now Black Friday lasts for weeks, with some stores rolling out Black Friday deals as early as Halloween, making doorbusters a thing of the past. 

Black Friday has lost its sparkle and grown to be a jumble of subpar sales throughout the holiday season. When Black Friday was just one day, stores could afford to apply heavy discounts with the knowledge not everyone would make it in-store or online within the 24-hour time frame — month-long sales have diluted Black Friday, lessening the discounts, according to CNN. 

With its flashy title and sale buzzwords, it’s not hard to get swept up in the Black Friday madness but end up paying essentially the normal amount. 

In the online retail space, there have been documented instances of retailers slowly marking up the cost of an item right before offering their Black Friday sale, according to BBC — a ruse made much easier through digital pricing. 

While the chaos of previous Black Fridays put retail workers through the wringer, online adaptations haven’t made things much easier. Shopping online ropes in another set of employees, from delivery drivers to customer service representatives, who now also have to work harder over the holiday season. 

Amazon is a prime example with its “Black Friday Week” starting Nov. 21. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor found Amazon liable for hazardous working conditions. In 2024, a group of senators called out Amazon for mistreating delivery drivers — an issue that’s made headlines for years.

While retail workers may no longer have to break up fights or risk getting trampled, delivery drivers — including Amazon’s fleet — are the new group of employees being subjected to long hours and potential mistreatment.

The biggest shopping day of the year has yet to roll around, and thousands of Amazon workers have already filed claims against Amazon, The Associated Press reported. 

The bells and whistles of Black Friday may remain, but the excitement is gone. Even the supposed increase of ease from the digital world doesn’t make up for useless sales and a new set of overworked employees.

NO:

Blackfridaydeathcount.com has kept a tracker for Black Friday-related injuries since 2006. In that time it’s recorded at least 17 deaths and 125 injuries related to the holiday’s shopping. 

In light of this devastating reality, Black Friday’s shift online is a product both of necessity and opportunity.

Cabbage Patch Kids took over the American cultural zeitgeist in the early 1980s. At their peak in November 1983, riots struck the country over the toy’s high demand. While Black Friday was coined as a term two decades prior, these riots catapulted it into the collective imagination. Critically, the holiday’s violent culture began because of mass hysteria over consumerism.

Black Friday preys on the negative side of human nature. With unbeatable deals, limited-time offers relegated to a single day and a plethora of stores within driving distance, it’s instinctual to try and beat the rush. Instead, at the peak of brick-and-mortar shopping, this very notion caused the infamous rushes that have plastered news pages.

Admittedly, a sense of nostalgia might linger for the insane videos of people rushing into stores. While these stories bring intrigue by capitalizing off collective hysteria, this shouldn’t be celebrated, especially in light of the injuries inflicted by shopping panics. 

The immediate cause for the historical violence around Black Friday boils down to many people competing for the same thing. As Black Friday has shifted online, fewer people are competing against one another in the same space.

The move toward digital sales promotes accessibility for everyone. In a post-COVID age, the dangers of crowding have evolved past physical harm. For people who have developed anxiety surrounding large masses of people, digital Black Friday gives them an opportunity to take advantage of deals they’d otherwise miss.

Online shopping also ensures there’s enough stock to appease everyone — avoiding incidents like the Cabbage Patch Kids riots. An exclusive reliance on a single physical storefront places a hard cap on what can be sold. Online shopping, however, avoids stringent restrictions on stock, removing the impetus for dangerous rushes.

Flexibility is central in society. With consumerism bringing out the worst in human nature, shifting Black Friday online has been critical. It affords the chance for shoppers across the country to consider different purchases or gifts. It’s beneficial, no matter the circumstances, to increase the time one has to deliberate. In our consumerist age, this is a necessity.

This holiday season, remember what granted the luxury of contemplating a purchase from chaotic, trampling crowds — online Black Friday sales.