Today marks the first day of the holiday shopping season, and Black Friday, long since known to be a day when you can get the best deals on deeply discounted material, has been one of its biggest contributors. Early shopping, the mad rush to get things normally tens if not hundreds of dollars cheaper, and hopefully not getting trampled have been Black Friday staples for years.
The rise of online shopping opportunities has made it easy for us geeks to take advantage of Black Friday without having to venture out into the (literally) cold outside world. Being able to shop from the comfort of a blanket wrapped around you in your computer chair, a hot chocolate in hand, has at least eliminated one or two hazardous aspects of today’s shopping. Black Friday tracking websites make the job even easier, compiling lists from all sorts of retailers who’ve set up electronic shop for all your retail needs.
But with this greater convenience comes greater danger to us geek folk. Being able to click through within seconds to pick up DVD’s, games, and other such discounted items means your wallet has a greater chance of being lightened. The purchase of computers and electronic devices, which once provided a natural barrier to purchase due to physically having to haul them home, now are easily acquired and delivered with a few swift mouse clicks. Combine this with the fact that retailers can stock far larger quantities of items at a warehouse that fulfills online orders and we’re more screwed than we could ever be fighting over something at a real store.
I can’t say this is a bad thing, though. Like many things that were once exclusively offline experiences, Black Friday’s convenience online means that the most dangerous thing you might experience to your person is dropping your hot chocolate in your lap. The fact that resources exist for better, smarter Black Friday shopping make those who do venture out more prepared for the insanity. Geek communications via Facebook and Twitter ensure that like many things, a crappy, roughshod experience with Black Friday is easier with shared misery. And of course, there’s the simple, new hotness of getting something extremely cheap with greater ease in the midst of an economy like ours. So to shoppers everywhere, whether you choose to pursue Black Friday in a line snaking around a mall or from the relative safety of your computer screens, good luck to you – and I hope you find something really cool. I know I might.