As Thanksgiving meals end and turkey-filled relatives & friends say goodbye, many Americans will be headed to crowded, cold concrete sidewalks outside their favorite stores. A long, frigid night is ahead for these smart shoppers, huddled under blankets waiting for the Black Friday sales to commence.

But is it worth it?

When I was in college I had a part-time gig at the local Best Buy. And my first official day was the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was intense and a bit nerve-racking walking into work for the first time at midnight and being greeted by a line of eager customers lined around the building – when just hours before I had been with my family celebrating a day of thanks.

As the GM handed me my shirt and badge all I could think about was how crazy these people were for sacrificing get-togetherness time for a $300 computer and a $40 dvd player. It didn’t make sense to me. And it still doesn’t.

The question I pose: Why would anyone in their right mind go through the agony of crowded, frantic shopping conditions after waiting in the cold for hours?

The answer of most: The deals are too good to pass up.

While yes, a new flat-screen TV for half-off is an attractive offer, it isn’t a deal. Not at all. Here’s why:
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Another new iPhone? It’s overwhelming!

Everyday there are new headlines featuring fancy new technologies promising to slice and dice through our daily tasks.

Endless streams of commercials for new computers, widely publicized press events for new smartphones, email blasts for new apps, huge store displays for new TV’s… there are disruptions for new everything… no wonder our society has a collective case of ADHD.

And our pain is understandable. We may buy an expensive new cell phone that is outdated before taking it out of the box. We may spend a week learning how to use a new app that receives a complete facelift two days later.

But is this technology ruining our lives? Or are we letting our lives be destroyed by technology?

There must be a silver lining to the rise of technology?
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