Cyber Monday Challenge
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 11/26/2007 at 1:09 PM
Today is what retailers have dubbed "Cyber Monday," and the Boston Globe reports that online spending could surpass $700 million, a record one-day total. Even Black Friday online spending was up 22 percent from last year. Some companies are even extending "cyber Monday" into "cyber week," hoping to increase sales.
I know I've become a fan of online Christmas shopping. It's easy to shop around for good prices at overstock warehouses, and you don't have to deal with the crowds. Plus, if you're like me and go to a different state for Christmas, you can simply have your gifts mailed ahead and wrap them when you get there. For me, it removes a lot of stress from the holidays.
In light of the shopping season beginning -- and with it the consumerist rush -- I thought this week's Boundless article "How Big Is Your Latte?" was a timely reminder about the tendency to indulge. Author Dave Barshinger suggests:
After recognizing the human gluttonous bent, think and act globally. The me-ism of our culture runs so coarsely in our blood that we often miss how selfishly we focus on ourselves. But fixing our eyes on God's love for people all over the world, most of whom have far, far less than you and me, helps us to give up something we don't need so we can redirect our resources of time and money to others with great needs.
Why not look for a way your family can give to others this Christmas? It's not difficult to find many wonderful Christian aide organizations that are providing for the neediest people. And the great news is, most of them are online.
1. Natasha said the following at 1:51 PM on Nov 26:
Just FYI, the whole Cyber Monday thing is actually an urban legend. You can read about it at snopes.com. This is the link:
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/thanksgiving/cybermonday.asp
Aside from that, I do agree with the focus of your article! I was thinking- it would be neat if we could all focus on generosity & create a "Cyber Monday" effect by making one day the most generous day of the year or similar. :)
2. Suzanne said the following at 3:09 PM on Nov 26:
Natasha,
Interesting. The projections for this year's "cyber Monday" come from comScore Inc. I guess we'll have to wait to see if they materialize.
3. Gene said the following at 5:14 PM on Nov 26:
Another consideration: employees who in effect steal from their employers by doing their online shopping at work on their work computer.
4. Valerie said the following at 7:56 PM on Nov 26:
Lifewater International has a great website for holiday giving. You can make donations in someone's honor to help bring safe water to communities.
You can choose how much you'd like to give and depending on the amount, can help build latrines, provide biosand filters, handwashing and hygiene education, build a hand pump or drill a well!
Check out their website at https://www.lifewater.org/v2/giftcard/
Let's show others we care and collaborate with Lifewater or another worthy ministry this holiday season! :)
5. Bill Reichart said the following at 8:21 PM on Nov 26:
I have written a blog post that I think you may agree with, as I find the whole Black Friday thing a very sad affair…
http://provocativechurch.blogspot.com/2007/11/stop-madness.html
Love to hear what you think.
6. John A. said the following at 8:24 PM on Nov 26:
I think you're missing another moral problem. The reason there is a "Cyber Monday" is that people wait until their Thanksgiving vacation ends and then spend their workday shopping online at the office, while their employers have the right to an honest day's work.
7. Tami said the following at 9:32 AM on Nov 27:
I have no problem with giving in someone's honor. Except when, say, your Aunt Jane has purchased you a lovely cashmere sweater, and you give her a gift of a cow for Kenyans (while she was perhaps expecting* something a little more tangible, even if homespun)... it *can* come off like you're getting your gift for her and your own charitable giving done in one fell swoop.
I know of families that do their Christmas shopping out of those types of missions catalogs. But there's an understanding among all of them that that's the expectation, rather than giving "more stuff" to each other. If that's the understanding, then I think it's laudable!
My personal preference is to give "useable stuff" -- food, fuzzy socks, soaps, coffee gift cards, homemade goodies, etc. -- because I know those are generally appreciated, and they won't lay around the house for years collecting dust. And, they don't involve spending tons and tons of money!
[* Yes, I know. Gift-giving is not about what you expect to receive in turn. But realistically -- most people anticipate Christmas gift exchanges unless the family has discussed otherwise.]
8. Rachel said the following at 1:29 PM on Nov 27:
I'm just like Tami. I prefer to give and receive stuff that's consumable, so it won't add to the clutter we Americans all have in our houses and in our lives. I don't give something permanent unless I'm pretty sure the person wants it.
9. Jonathan said the following at 11:36 AM on Nov 30:
I've seen a couple posts on here decrying personal use of work computers. While I can understand the rationale behind such arguments I must respectfully disagree. The reason is that the U.S. leads the "developed world" in average hours of work...even more than Japan, a country usually picked on for workaholicism. Interestingly enough, countries in Europe, according to surveys, often are more productive while working several hundred hours less per year on average. Perhaps people would be less likely to use work PCs for personal use if they actually had personal time. (Information gathered from BBC, Int'l Labor Org., CNN, and CBS News).
As far as "Cyber Monday" goes, I am personally a fan of days like this. The only reason I am able to afford decent gifts for my relatives is by trolling the internet and ads in the local newspaper for great sales. In this respect I would argue for such shopping days due to the fact that they allow me to accomplish two things: still tithing and giving to charity regularly(as I do in other months) while being able to afford gifts that show I appreciate my family.