BUY NOTHING DAY

Buy Nothing Day is a great way of reminding yourself you don’t need to go shopping. In today’s world, most of us buy too much, too often. There is really no need for us to buy half the stuff we purchase. In fact, make that three-quarters, or even nine-tenths. Shopping has become an addiction for many people. Companies are experts at making us buy stuff. TV and Internet ads can even make us buy things we don’t really want. There is a well-known bumper sticker that says: “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.” I would say only foolish people go shopping to reduce their stress. Anyway, Buy Nothing Day is a fantastic way to avoid crowded stores, save some money (for once) and spend time wisely.

Lots of ideas on how to spend this day are on the www.buynothingday.org website. Here, you learn that you actually help save our planet by not going shopping. You consume less and this means we use fewer of Earth’s resources. We easily run out of money when we go shopping, but we can also run out of our planet’s animals, forests, water and a lot more. The website suggests you lock your credit card away for the day and keep your cash under the bed. You will not be alone. The website says: “Buy Nothing Day is the biggest 24-hour [campaign] against consumerism. People around the world will make a pact to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement. And the best thing is, it’s free."

http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/11/buy_nothing_day.html

DO YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA OF THE BUY NOTHING DAY CAMPAIGN?
http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-you-support-the-idea-of-the-buy-nothing-day-campaign 

HOOKED ON SHOPPING

Over the years, shopping has become a very common activity. Many people enjoy going to malls or stores more and more everyday, but it's more than a common hobby for some of them. They have turned into shopaholics. They are people who simply enjoy shopping and walking around spending money without being able to stop doing it.

Shopaholics, also called compulsive spenders, are people like any addicted people who are hooked on something. They are hooked on shopping. They really like shopping and usually buy things that they don't need. Even though they don't have enough money, they buy everything they want.

The question is: why do they have this addiction? There isn't a specific answer. Some people go shopping when they are sad, worried, upset or lonely and they want to feel better. They use this activity as a way to forget their problems. Shopholics say that they feel more important and better after they buy something.

They also tend to have this addiction when they feel guilty. For example, a husband might buy very expensive presents for his family to try to make up for his lack of love for them.

We are used to thinking that women enjoy shopping more than men; but according to some studies, that's not true. Men really like shopping because they feel they have power and control. They get whatever they want. Also, men usually buy big items while women spend their money on clothes, cosmetics, decorations for their houses, or things for family.

Shopaholism seems to be a harmless addiction, but the fact is it can cause many problems. Some of them can be psychological; and in that case, people addicted to shopping should go to a support group or learn about behavior therapies to help them break this habit. However, the process, like for most addictions, is long, and they suffer a lot. It can also cause financial problems.

I think these are very harmful because they don't even worry if they have enough money to afford what they want. They just think about satisfying their feelings, so they spend money they don't have. They get deep in debt, and they can even go bankrupt and get sent to jail.

In conclusion, if you are a person who enjoys shopping, be careful. Try to control yourself. The power of the mind is great, and if you make a few efforts, you will be able to avoid this addiction. Next time you go shopping, stop a second and think about it. Examine your shopping habits. Later might be too late.

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition9/shopaholism.htm

THE REALITY OF SHOPPING ADDICTION

When people hear the word addict, many would likely think of alcoholism or drug abuse. But there is an addiction that can stem from doing something that many do every day: shopping.

Oniomania is an uncontrollable desire to buy things. The word onios comes from the Greek meaning “for sale” and mania meaning “excessive excitement or enthusiasm,” according to Dictionary.com.

“Some shopping addicts grow up in homes where shopping addiction was presented, so they have an increased risk,” says Terrence Shulman, the founder and director of The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending and Hoarding. “In other cases, shopping addicts grow up in homes where they felt deprived of material things. In most cases, there is a lack of decent emotional nurturance and sometimes downright neglect and abuse.”

Today’s modern society is a consumer society, with advertising encouraging people to purchase more.

“There is media that a lot of people think is just regular content, but the truth is they are trying to sell something,” says Lynn Dickinson, media professor at Santa Monica College. “We are bombarded with advertising and marketing in the media entirely, 24 hours a day, pretty much.”

“Many people try to use shopping as others use drugs, alcohol or food to fill a void, numb pain, or distract themselves from stress or difficult life issues,” says Shulman. “Our culture encourages shopping and once a shopaholic gets going, it’s hard to stop it, especially with TV and Internet shopping. It can be like crack cocaine.”

Excessive shopping may be more common than people think.

“Between six and nine percent of Americans suffer from compulsive shopping or buying disorder,” says Shulman. “I think it’s closer to 10 percent.”

With the advent of the Internet, shopping for practically anything is only a click away.

“There is no doubt that the United States of America has moved from being a producer culture to a consumer culture,” says Dickinson. “We are now a culture that consumes and evaluates our values.”

Credit cards can also influence the consumer culture. A student is only required to be 21-years-old and have a co-signer to get a credit card, according to creditcards.org.

The Schulman Center website recommends to cut credit cards and use cash instead, in order to easily monitor the amount of cash that is being spent.

Online shopping has increased dramatically in recent years. Retail shopping websites made $186.2 billion in 2012, according to the statistics website Statista.

There are various types of shopping disorders, according to the Shulman Center’s website.

Compulsive shopping refers to a person that purchases to distract emotions. Trophy shoppers are those who buy high-end clothing items. Image shoppers are more concerned with their appearance and how others perceive them. Bargain shoppers are defined as people who buy things that they necessarily do not need, but purchase because it is a good deal. Codependent shoppers buy things for other people in order to receive affection and appreciation. Bulimic shoppers return what they buy. Collector shoppers buy many sets of the same item.

Shulman recommends that if you are suffering from these types of addictions, avoid places that may cause shopping temptation. Make a list before going to any store, ask yourself if you need the item before buying it, and cancel magazine, email and TV subscriptions.

“Today’s magazines are consumer training for people,” says Dickinson.

Shulman also recommends specialized counseling, therapy, medication, and support groups.

There are behavioral, cognitive therapy and financial counseling for shopaholics to consider, depending on what kinds of shopping addiction the person has.

“There are some people who seem to respond to the kind of messages that everyone is getting in a really extreme way, and I think for those people, shopping became a reward for them, but I think that is an illness,“ says Dickinson. “I believe our culture is moving as a whole toward that illness, and the media supports shopaholics. People who create advertising wish we were all shopaholics, and it would be ideal for them.”

http://www.thecorsaironline.com/lifestyle/2013/05/21/the-reality-of-shopping-addiction/

DO YOU THINK THAT SHOPPING IS AN ADDICTION? (FINAL VERSION)

More and more, there are a lot of people who need to go shopping like an addiction, an illness. In my view, there are two reasons that can explain this fact:

Firstly, I think that advertising has an important repercussion on this fact with their slogans. They show  people that their products are the newest and the coolest so everybody wants to have that garment. They need to have it, to show to world that they are the coolest, the most modern. Without those objects, they feel empty, depressive, as if they were missing something in their lives. They rely on shopping like  alcoholics rely on alcohol.

Secondly, most of the people who go shopping do it to hide something that they miss, people who have been  stricken by something. They try to solve it with better clothes, modern bags or new shoes, but this satisfaction, only last for a short period of time.

To sum up, I think that solve your problems with shopping, alcohol or something like that is not the solution, so we need to help  people to stop doing these things.

Júlia Fàbregues Pons 2nBatx. A

DO YOU THINK SHOPPING IS AN ADDICTION? (FINAL VERSION)

More and more, there are a lot of people who need to go shopping like an addiction, an illness. In my view, there are two reasons that can explain this fact:

Firstly, I think that advertising has an important repercussion on this fact with their slogans. They show  people that their products are the newest and the coolest so everybody wants to have that garment. They need to have it, to show to world that they are the coolest, the most modern. Without those objects, they feel empty, depressive, as if they were missing something in their lives. They rely on shopping like  alcoholics rely on alcohol.

Secondly, most of the people who go shopping do it to hide something that they miss, people who have been  stricken by something. They try to solve it with better clothes, modern bags or new shoes, but this satisfaction, only last for a short period of time.

To sum up, I think that solve your problems with shopping, alcohol or something like that is not the solution, so we need to help  people to stop doing these things.

Júlia Fàbregues Pons 2nBatx. A

Shopping addiction. Corrected

Nowaday the sales, above all, after Christmas, is when shops reduce prices of expensive articles, this produces/ causes large/ long queues, moreover, a lot of people are waiting all night or in sleeping bags, to buy cheap goods.

On the one hand, most people when they go shoping, needs/ when most people go shopping, they need to buy something, although they don't need it, only to take up in the wardrop/ wardrobe. But they buy for/ because of  television advertising on TV, etc...

On the other hand some people don't know that they could have a problem with shopping like alcoholics. These people sometimes ... bankrupt, because they buy much more than they can. People have an additction when it happens.

In my opinion sales are a cheat created by large companies who/ that only worry about earning money.

elena  2n Batx A

Purchases as a lifestyle (Final Version)

Now a days, because of the global crisis, shopping is a compulsive act for a lot of people; and why could shopping an addiction?

Some people are used to going shopping when they are depressed or nervous, after a time, they need to buy something every time they are depressed or nervous. This behavior is considered an addiction, because they need to shop and they feel better after having done it. These type of people need help from psychologists or doctors. But they are a little group of people. Other people are affected by the media, which shows them lot of stupid products and finally people buy unnecessary things. In addition, the sales are the main reason for shopping, because when we see an offer, we think that it is a bargain and buy it. Furthermore if the sales are at Christmas, the purchases are bigger.After buying something, some people feel bad and worse before having bought it, because they regret having bought it without any reason.

I think that some people need help to overcome their addiction, but shopping isn’t always an addiction, when we buy something without reason, it could be because of propaganda. In my opinion, we shouldn’t pay attention to publicity; because publicity wants us to buy their products.

More and more, there are a lot of people who need to go shopping like an addiction, an illness. In my view, there are two reasons that can explain this fact:

Firstly, I think that the/-- advertising has an important repercussion on this fact with their slogans. They show to/ tell people / make people believe that their products are the newest and the coolest so everybody wants to have that garment/ them. They need to have it, to show to world that they are the coolest, the most modern. Without that/ those objects, they feel empty, depressive, like if they are missing something / something is missing in their lives. They rely on _ shopping like _ alcoholics rely on_alcohol.

Secondly, most of the people who go shopping do it to hide something that they miss, people who are stricken for have been stricken by something. They try to solve it with better clothes, modern bags or new shoes, but this satisfaction, only rest for a short period of time.

To sum up, I think that trying tosolve your problems with shopping, alcohol or something like that is not the solution, so we need to help the/--- people to stop doing this/ these things.

Júlia Fàbregues Pons. 2A BTX

Do you think Shopping is an addiction? Do people always need the things they buy when they go shopping? What about you? (FINAL VERSION)

In the last few years, experts have discovered a new type of addiction which has been called “fashion victim”. This term is used when we refer to someone who is always changing his dressing style, and consequently buying a lot. This might be surprising for most of the people, but not for me. Some months ago I realized that I was a “fashion victim”, since that moment I started going to the psychologist. Currently I can control myself and I’m going to give you some tips.

First of all, you should make a list of the things you’ve planned to buy so as not to start catching a lot of things. If you want to buy a little whim, there’s no problem.

Secondly, try not to go mad due to the sales. Pay attention very carefully to the prices and the offers and don’t be swindled. Do not buy unnecesary things, overcome the temptations! You must learn to avoid the stupid fashion.

In conclusion, I think people must regulate their feelings and be prudent.

Marcial Moya 2 BTX A

Illness!(final version)

Societies  are always changing, nowadays everybody has a lot of clothes. We don't wear the same clothes for two days and underwear clothes are changed at least twice a day. We live in a materialistic society and a lot of people can afford to buy more clothes than they need.
People buy something because they think that it will change their life. Advertising makes products look better or make us believe that they are better than they are actually. In fact I don't go shopping very often, but I sometimes buy something which I think is necessary at that moment and then I realise that I have wasted money. I have a lot of clothes because I don't like wearing the same clothes every day.
In conclusion, we have to know that products don't change our life and money doesn't make us happier but it helps.

TÒFOL OLIVES ESCUDERO, "2C"

ARE WE ADDICTED TO BUYING? (CORRECTED)

Nowadays, the fact of going to a shop and spending our money there  is something normal; that’s because we are addicted to buying new things whenever we can. In my view, that’s a wrong way to live.

At first/ Firstly/ In the first place, I think that our lives are based on consumption. The big companies convince us to buy their products with impressive advertisements that make us spend a lot of money. But the fact is that when we buy something, we really feel better than before. On the other hand, buying things is a necessity, because we always need something: food, toys, clothes… and we cannot avoid buying them.

To sum up, I’ll answer the question. In my opinion, most people are addicted to shopping because they are always buying things that they don’t need the whole day . But in the last years, the number of shopping addicts has decreased due to the economic situation.

CARLOS VICO, 2ºA

Shopping (final version)

Everyday, lots of peple go to the mall centre, spends the day going from store to store or simply buy for fun. Shopping has become a way of life. We are the whole day in front of the TV watching commercials that make us think that we need the products that they show.


In my opinion, I think that shopping can become an addiction, because, when some people buy (No matter what they buy), they feel better. They use shopping like a therapy, a medicine or even a drug. On the other hand, shopping is a way of life, I mean, you earn your money and then you spend it buying all kind of things (food, clothes, gadgets...). The problem is that peolple sometimes buy things that they don't need because they have seen the commercials and they think that they can't live without the product that is announced.


To conclude, I think that shopping not necessarily becomes an addiction if you ... only things that you need or if you don't go shopping often, but the problem is people buy things because they have seen in the commercials and they think that they can't live without them.

Pau Vidal Gomila 2n Batx A

SHOPPING ADDICTION (final version)

Nowadays there are a lot of people who like shopping all kind of things, such as clothes, perfume, toys, bicycles and lots of other things. But sometimes shopping can become an addiction and I totally agree.

Firstly, when people go shopping sometimes they really don’t buy what they need and finally these things aren’t used. Therefore, if you open the wardrobe in any house you could  probably find some  clothes with the gift tag. Secondly, on  important dates such as Christmas, people buy without specific reason. Finally, some people are addicted to  buying and this is  for some people an illness. When a person has a little money, he needs to buy anything without a reason, because of this illness. Sometimes these people usually hide the object that they have bought because they feel guilty and never used it.

Personally, I think that a person who suffers this addiction needs some help. Moreover, I know a person with this illness and I can see how she usually buys unnecessary things although she hasn’t enough money.

Alba Mariscal López 2n C

SHOPPING (CORRECTED)

Everybody sometimes go / goes shopping but do they really need new things? In my point of view/ In my view, nowadays, shopping is an addiction because a lot of people needn’t new things.

Every year fashion changes and in the end people go to buy/ go and buy new clothe/ clothes but some people buy too many things which aren't/ are useless or which  they don't need it/- . Normally, this type of people usually buy expensive things because after that, they feel well. Also these people enjoy telling their friends about the things that they have bought. Personally, I am not addicted to going shopping although I like buying new clothes only when it is necessary. If I need a T-shirt, I go to/ and buy it but I don’t go shopping like it was/ as if it were an obligation.

Consequently, most people are addicted to shopping because they have the necessity to have more and new things.

Gonzalo Lázaro
2n Batx B

SHOPPING (final version)

Nowadays, the sales have become  a very important thing for shopkeepers to increase the sales, so I think that sales are good to promote the economy. 

Firstly, sales help shopkeepers to sell stocks that were left over because they have not achieved to sell them. As a result , shopkeepers have to lower the prices of their products to sell  them and increase their profits. Secondly, sales are one alternative to promote the economy as owning to the crisis people spend less on superficial or unnecessary things such as clothes or technology and in this manner, when people see the lowest prices they buy more and therefore spend more, and this increases both the profits of traders and the economy. Finally, buyers can buy more things and  take advantage to spend less money.

Personally, on  the one hand I think that sales are a very good alternative to sell more products left in stocks and on the other hand sales are a solution to incentive the economy.

Write your name , surname and group HERE

Do you think shopping is an addiction? Do people always need th things they buy when they go shopping? What about you? Explain. Corrected

Nowaday the sales, above all, after Christmas, is when shops reduce prices of expensive articles, this produces/ causes large/ long queues, moreover, a lot of people are waiting all night or in sleeping bags, to buy cheap goods.

On the one hand, most people when they go shoping, needs/ when most people go shopping, they need to buy something, although they don't need it, only to take up in the wardrop/ wardrobe. But they buy for/ because of  television advertising on TV, etc...

On the other hand some people don't know that they could have a problem with shopping like alcoholics. These people sometimes ... bankrupt, because they buy much more than they can. People have an additction when it happens.

In my opinion sales are a cheat created by large companies who/ that only worry about earning money.

elena  2n Batx A

Shopping addiction (FINAL VERSION)

In these last years, shopping is more important for our society. It can be said that shopping is an addiction that in some cases it can be very difficult  to control.

Firstly, I think that advertising is one of the  reasons why people have shopping addiction. The shops try to attract more customers with advertising in order that they buy their products, in some cases they can be cheated because the advertising can be deceiving.

Secondly, I believe that the shops change the prices and the things constantly. It is a way to make people who go to the shops see different things and they will want to have them. Therefore, most people buy a lot of things that they don’t need.

In conclusion, it is clear that many people are not conscious when they buy things. As a result we have to know what we really buy and what we need since sometimes they cheat us.  

Aina Isbert 2B

Is shopping an adiction?

Now a days, because off the global crisis, shopping still being (T) a compulsive act for a lot of people, and why shopping could be (WO) an addiction?

Some people are use (T) to shop (T) when ... are depressed or nervous, after a time, they need to buy something every time they are depressed or nervous. This behavior is considered an addiction, because they need to shop and they feel better after do (T) it. These types (G) of people need help from psychologists or doctors. But they are a little group of people. Other people are affected by ... media, which shows him (G) lot of stupid products and finally people buy unnecessary things. Besides these (WW), the sales are the principal (WW) cause of shopping, because when we see a sale (WW), we think that it is a bargain and buy it. Furthermore if the sales are on (prep) Christmas, the purchases are bigger. Some people, after buy(Y) something, feel bad and worse before buy(T) it, because they regret of buy (T) without ...reason.

I think that some people need help to overcome their addiction, but shopping isn’t always an addiction, when we buy something without reason, it could be because of propaganda. In my opinion, we shouldn’t pay attention to publicity, because this want to we(G) buy their products. 

Write your name , surname and group HERE

DO YOU THINK SHOPPING IS AN ADDICTION? DO PEOPLE ALWAYS NEED THE THINGS THEY BUY WHEN THEY GO SHOPPING? WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Today, the way to reduce the stress or anxiety is based on shopping. This is considered an addiction, because many people are tied to this economic activity.

Terribly, this addiction is a major expense for the person. No one becomes addicted to shopping at any moment: firstly the person must have some money; secondly, publicity through television, radio and billboards shows the right products, and finally this person feels that he or she has to buy it. For this reason people have things in house that it doesn't need and/ or it unused.

Finally, I think that society is based on a compulsive consumerism that makes people spend much without conscience, and with this, spending unnecessary resources.

Cristina Sánchez Berzosa
2 Batx. C

Shopping Addiction (FINAL CORRECTION)

An addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences. Therefore, if a person feels the need to buy, buying can be considered an addiction.

First, we live in a consumer society, so the consumption of products is not frowned upon. On the other hand there are many times when the number of purchases soar, such as Christmas or birthdays... So, we must evaluate when the shopping addiction begins in society: does Christmas promote shopping addiction or do we just consider it a special day?

Some psychologists have studied this and have cataloged it as an addiction. Some people feel the need to buy some products that are unnecessary like, for example some people buy many clothes that do not get used. It's a very new concept but society has to take control over it because many studies show that people increasingly feel the need to go shopping more and more.

In conclusion, people should moderate their purchases so they don't end up getting addicted. Today, brands incite people to buy, so people should know the purpose of brands and they have to control themselves.

Joel Pampillón Florit 2n Batxillerat B