As you know, Black Friday is the last Friday in November and is so famous for its discounts in most shops and online platforms. The stores are crowded and consumerism prevails in the cities. However, individuals normalize it without realizing what it all comes down to.

In this article we will see the main psychological effects of Black Friday on our mind .

The psychological effects of Black Friday

For all the curious people who ask him, this is what happens to us in the face of this avalanche of sales and discounts that makes us buy disproportionately.

1. Appearance of need

We are presented with offers that have an expiration date, which generate the urgency to acquire the product even though we do not need it . We get the impression that if we lose the opportunity we will regret it. From this moment on, the person will think that he or she needs it, or rather, he or she has been made to think that he or she needs it and that if he or she doesn’t buy it, he or she will feel guilty.

Moreover, purchases are justified by the proximity of Christmas, which progressively increases the term of urgency, and there they no longer escape the clutches of uncontrolled consumerism.

2. Anticipation

Companies plan this day ahead of time. They do this by conducting large marketing campaigns either through email, television, billboards or radio.

In short, fight for the attention of potential customers , generating different advertising campaigns to reach all buyer profiles. They achieve this by presenting their promotions as soon as possible and repeatedly, calling on our most primary emotions, activating our limbic system, and in this way favouring our memory of the brand.

3. Let that offer go or be happy?

We have already seen that brands play with our emotions in order to get more buyers . However, they also generate needs that are not congruent with the real ones. In this pulse, during purchases, perceived needs win.

In order not to risk that the clientele does not buy, there is a meticulous planning. They start by presenting advertisements so that we can fantasize about obtaining that product , which we cannot buy today. We imagine what it would be like to have it, coming to believe that we need it. Finally, it becomes an activity that activates the pleasure centres; there is a release of dopamine and endocrines producing a feeling of well-being.

4. When it comes to shopping, we leave critical thinking aside

The fact of getting a lowered object produces pleasure, since we think that today and only today we will have the opportunity to obtain the so desired product. Also, by means of marketing strategies, the prices decrease a little even though they are still high. In spite of that, they make sure that the discount is visible for the potential customer to see , and they present it to him as unique, so that he finally buys it. In short, we do not buy rationally.

This is also true for online shopping, and the convenience factor is added, as there are no crowds or queues, which makes the payment process easier. This increases impulsivity , as you pay by credit card and people are less aware of the expense.

5. Social pressure

We see that in our environment, most will take advantage of the offers to give themselves some whim.

We don’t want to feel excluded or get out of the norm . We wonder if it is worth spending that money now, some acquaintances try to convince us of the bargains, we see more and more advertisements, and under such pressure some need is generated at the end. Finally, we fall into the trap and how not… we end up consuming.

How to mitigate the effects of consumerism?

After this tour through the minds of consumers we can better understand why this Black Friday triumph , and how to reduce it. Knowledge is the first step to avoid excessive and unnecessary consumption. Let us be more careful not to harm ourselves. As Zygmunt Bauman said, “Consumerism promises something it cannot deliver: universal happiness. And it aims to solve the problem of freedom by reducing it to the freedom of the consumer”.