The traditional christmas is dead…
Since i was a child Christmas has been about spending time with family and friends and try to forget the woes of the year & work. Admittedly most years have massive arguments, fights over presents and certain family members falling asleep by 5pm. However, one thing that was certain is that no-one would be shopping not just because all the the shops where shut but because we had better things to do. Hell it was one of the fours days of the year that my step-father, being a green-grocer, would actually shut his shop (the others being boxing day and new years day + 2nd Januray). It was always strange but good to wonder around my local area and see all the shops shut and that the only people out and about where out for a walk generally with their family and friends. If fact since 2003 its been illegal for ‘large’ shops to open on christmas day.
However, it appears that, according to IMRG, nearly 4 million British people went online on Christmas day and spent £102 Million pounds! That to me seems immensly sad and an indicative of the state of current society when 10% of the population (over the age of 16) are spending their time (at least in part) shopping on their computers. It’s bad enough they are on their computers rather than interacting with their family and friends bar for the following reasons:
- Trying out a new game
- Communicating with family abroad / else where.
Has society really got to the point where would rather shop online on christmas day then spend time with family and friends? Ok i accept that there are people out there who don’t have large families or if they do the last thing they want to do is spend time with them or even that they are not christian and don’t want to celebrate Christmas. But to consider that 10% of the adult population is shopping on Christmas day, now that is sad! Christmas is truely dead!
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/245079/four-million-brits-went-online-shopping-on-christmas-day.html
