Buy Nothing Today, Buy it Tomorrow Instead.

Buy Nothing Day

“There’s only one way to avoid the collapse of this human experiment of ours on Planet Earth: we have to consume less.”

     Buy Nothing Day is an anti-consumerism day perpetuated by social activists all around the world. Typically held the Friday after the American Thanksgiving, the event seeks to bring national awareness to over-consumption and advocate for practices of material conservation. To achieve such a goal, the group calls for a boycott of any material consumption for 24 hours.  They also recommend that participates be environmental conscious and turn off any non-essential appliances or amenities for the day.

     While the event is noble in its cause, its long term impacts on the population’s consumer habits is questionable. On Buy Nothing Day, individuals do not buy anything, and simply go cold turkey. They cut up your credit cards and hide their money. Essentially, they go on a consumer fast. However, when the clock hits 12 am, individuals will likely celebrate by going out and shopping. Wait that is not right? It would appear in modern society, one which is rooted in material consumption, any attempt to forever change people’s purchasing habits is helpless.
     But who is to blame for society’s inability to conserve their purchase and not over-consume?  Can the finger be pointed at advertising companies?   Advertising companies are always trying to convince individuals to buy the latest and new products. Nevertheless, we control our actions, so to solely blame advertising companies is unfair. That is like society blaming McDonalds for the nation’s obesity problem. Advertisements may play a small role in over consumption but it is ultimately the consumer who has control over their actions.

     Buy Nothing Day, in my opinion, is about resisting planned and perceived obsolescence. As a society, we consume much more than we need. We are bombarded with advertisements and messages from big businesses, which drive us to consume more and more. We believe that we need to keep up with the trends, buy what is currently popular and continuously replace the things we already have with things that are newer and better. By participating in Buy Nothing Day, individuals may not change their consumption patterns but perhaps by having individuals reflect on their daily habits, they may begin to see the broader picture.  They will begin to realize, even if it is for a split second, they need to change their consumer habits and begin to rethink the purchases they make.  If Buy Nothing Day can accomplish such as task, then perhaps one day we can achieve positive change.