Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Robin Basselin.
Voice 2
And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Adil Das recently immigrated to Vancouver, Canada from eastern India. Das enjoys living in Canada. But sometimes he does not understand particular things about Canadian culture. One day, Das was watching television. A short advertisement began playing. A map of North America appeared on the television. On the map was a picture of a pig. Slowly, the pig began to grow. It got fatter and fatter. Soon, the pig covered the whole map. Then, a voice said,
Voice 2
“The average North American buys five times more things than a Mexican, ten times more than a Chinese person, and 30 times more than a person from India.”
Voice 1
The advertisement was a message about “Buy Nothing Day.” This holiday encourages people to stop buying things. Das is not sure how he feels about “Buy Nothing Day.” He works hard. And he wants his family to be able to buy things that they want. He wonders why Canadians would celebrate not buying anything. Today’s Spotlight is on the unusual holiday – “Buy Nothing Day.”
Voice 2
“Buy Nothing Day” began in the 1990s in Vancouver, Canada. It was the idea of a man named Kalle Lasn and his organization Adbusters. Before starting Adbusters, Lasn worked for many years in advertising. He helped companies research what influenced people to buy things. But Lasn began to question the ways advertisers influenced people to buy things. He also questioned the culture of buying. Was it good to make people feel like they should always want more and more? “Buy Nothing Day” criticizes this culture of consumerism.
Voice 1
Lasn recognizes that people need to consume things. They have to buy things to eat, live and even enjoy life. But Lasn believes that many companies encourage people to consume far more than is necessary. Advertising this way helps companies make money. But Lasn believes it hurts people and culture. Lasn told The Sun Magazine,
Voice 3
“Companies have reduced us to consumers. They encourage us not to take part in society. We are just supposed to listen and watch advertisements and then buy. The media tells us that our desire to belong can be satisfied at any store, for the right price.”
Voice 2
So Lasn decided to use advertising against companies. Adbusters tries to help people understand some of the false values and ideas behind advertising. The main value Adbusters fights is the idea, “You must consume more to be happy.” And one way they do this is by encouraging people to celebrate “Buy Nothing Day!”
Voice 1
“Buy Nothing Day” is celebrated on the fourth Friday of every November. Adbusters chose this day for a very important reason. It is the biggest buying day of the year. Advertisers call this day Black Friday.
Voice 2
Black Friday is particularly famous in the United States. It is the day after the country’s Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving, people in the United States gather with family and friends to eat a meal and give thanks. In recent years, stores began to reduce their prices the day after Thanksgiving. They wanted to encourage people to start buying gifts for the Christmas holiday in December.
Voice 1
However, in recent years, Black Friday has become famous for something else: greed and violence. On Black Friday, stores offer extremely reduced prices. But they only offer limited amounts of product. So people come early in the morning – or even the night before – to stand in lines outside stores. Sometimes, people push or fight to be first into the store. Some people have even died in Black Friday riots!
Voice 2
“Buy Nothing Day” hopes to end the greed and violence of Black Friday. But its message is bigger than just Black Friday. “Buy Nothing Day” is for people in the United States and around the world. Many other countries also have growing problems with too much consumption. Sixty-two different countries, from Germany to Japan, already celebrate “Buy Nothing Day”. And the message is the same everywhere – buying too much hurts people, culture and the planet. The British “Buy Nothing Day” website explains,
Voice 4
“Buy Nothing Day is a simple idea. It fights consumer culture by asking us to stop buying for a day. Anyone can do it if they spend a day without buying.”
Voice 1
For some people, “Buy Nothing Day” is a protest. For other people, it is a party. Some groups go to stores and encourage other people not to buy things. Other people gather together to make Christmas gifts instead of buying them. And some people use the day to create works of art that protest against consumer messages. Often, people celebrate by enjoying the free gift of nature. They go for walks or watch the sunset together. The only rule of “Buy Nothing Day” is not to buy anything!
Voice 2
Some people question if “Buy Nothing Day” can really change culture. It is only one day. And telling people not to do something often does not work! Other people say that consumers should not just buy less, but they should buy better. These people encourage consumers to buy things that are made in ways that do not hurt people or the environment.
Voice 1
But “Buy Nothing Day” does get people thinking about the negative effects of buying too much. Kalle Lasn told The Independent news organization,
Voice 3
“A lot of people have had deep learning experiences when they tried celebrating “Buy Nothing Day”. It was like giving up an addiction to drugs.”
Voice 2
Buying more and more things can be like an addiction. Often, the more people buy things, the more things they want. Tom Gilovich is a human behavior scientist. He performed several studies that examined people’s emotions when they buy things. And he found that people are happier and more satisfied when they spend money on experiences instead of things. He wrote,
Voice 5
“Satisfaction over purchases decreases over time. A new car does not stay new for very long. But a satisfying experience often becomes more positive over time as we remember it.”
Voice 1
So, what do you think about “Buy Nothing Day?” Is buying too much a problem in your culture? Does advertising make you want to buy more than you should? Would you ever celebrate this holiday? Tell us what you think. You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also comment on Facebook at Facebook.com/spotlightradio.
Voice 2
The writer of this program was Jen Hawkins. The producer was Mark Drenth. The voices you heard were from United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, “Buy Nothing Day.”
Voice 1
We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
Question:
Does advertising make you want to buy more than you should? What do you think about a day where people celebrate not buying anything?
the topic today is very useful with me, i have never known about this day.
thank you so muc
This is so interesting, i can’t wait for more
love u
I agree with previous comment. I’ve never heard about this holiday. I think it’s very useful idea.
thanks for making this great topic, especially on black friday 🙂
it is very good idea.
we are sourrended too many things.
but we can’t know it.
i live in Korea.
there are a very useful app.
very very simple
everthing i don’t need it.
i can sell through this app.
This is the first time i’ve heard about “Buy Nothing Day”. It is a perfect idea for consumers. I did not buy anything on Black Friday this year. And i will definitely celebrate “Buy Nothing Day” instead of “Black Friday”.
That´s a good idea!!! I will do the same.
I think that we need to buy things in correct way not just stop buying things, but buy what we really need.
it should be culture, not just for 1 day.
Thas very very important fom me. It didn’t hear anything about this holiday before. I’m influence to celebrate this holiday. It’s a smart Idea. Buy nothing a day it will be my holiday.
People in my country love expensive things so I wish we had like this day
Yes absolutely the advertising have a big effect on people with their attractive advertising ideas and colors make us buying with a blind eyes
Exactly
In our country, Black Friday is called ” White Friday” . You can see advertisments everywhere few days before. ” Buy Nothing Day” is a good to reduce the our addiction of buying.
Thanks so much, I have never known about this day. It’s so interesting.
Great topic and new words i learned today
yes , it totally effect you emotionally ..i think it is a way to get rid of this addiction by learn them to inhabit this desire for one day . if they did it once so they can do it every day .. and don’t spend thier money on things they didn’t want
in fact about me i am not following advertisement to much just i follow it for what i need and for what the new things can make my life easier
about buy nothing day it is good idea to send massage for people who are buying any thing even he does not want
At the began yes but I saw videos and read books about how much this is dangerous so I start to buy less.
The idea is so good and useful for the world.
Some advertisings tempt me alot to buy but i used to follow a very usefull technic that is by collecting which i want in the cart then leave it for some days When I came back i can decide if i really need them or that was in response to the advertisment. I really hope to have not buying anything to reduce the consumes.
Hello,
Yup sometimes it influences on me
I like the day of [ buy nothing day ]
But we haven’t to count on it..
We should be able to control ourselves and just buy the necessary things that we need it in our lives..
It’s very interesting. I didn’t it before. I like it.
-for the first question speaking of myself, I wouldn’t let advertising make me buy anything I didn’t need.
– the second question I so agree with them, but also I want buy nothing day be more than a day
Yes, sometimes it does when they are some unnecessary things. I assume if people is not willing to buy or consume in suitable way then it may lead our economics go down.
In my country is buying people in black Friday because in advertising reduced on all things , that thing is good , to buy thing price reduced
Advertising pushes you to buy what you don’t need.
I think there is no need for the important celebration that you do not buy the money you do not need today so that you do not have to sell what you need tomorrow
Actually, when I watch everything in the TV I always want to buy it. Probally thanks to the ability to shoots ads and product features, I m easily attracted to advertising product because its very beautiful. So I often want to buy them if possible
I agree with you about advertising give us some more useful information of products. However, when we buy something we should thing more about the other people and the environment
Yes.,advertising make us buy more we need, but not all time..
I have never heard about Buy Nothing Day
Advertising don’t make me want to buy more than I should because I consider carefully when I have to buy something. I just buy what is really useful for. I think if we buy something but we don’t use it, we not only waste our money, but we also waste labor afford of other people and materials of the earth.
We need to find a balance, because the industries need to sell their products. It helps the economy of the country and creates Jobs.
Yes it incourages me to buy more and it helps me to save money and make it easy to choose what l want
It was the first time I have heard about “Buy Nothing Day” I thing it could be useful to change consumption culture into the way people buy things that are really needed, as well as spending their time and money to make new beneficial experiences.
Maybe advertising makes me want to buy more.
A day like that has many meanings: reminding people not to buy too much more than they need, awareness of natural resources of Earth,…
Very good to learn this. In my country, we does not have a day like not buying anything.
Yes, i totally agree that the more things that i buy, the more things i want. It is an addiction that diffcult to give up. I will have “buying nothing day” once a week.
What a great idea!
“Buy nothing day” i never heard before, i like the idea. Not buy less, buy better. Buy things i need, not i want. It is good for nature, environment and the world.
A young man from the city was walking along a rural road and saw a hillbilly. He thought to himself: I’m going to play with this hick. Approaching the man, he asked:
– Does this road lead to Cristalina? And the man replied:
– I don’t know, sir. The boy asked again:
– Is she going to Catalan? And the man replied:
– I don’t know, sir. The boy asked again:
– You do not know nothing? The man looked him up and down, lit his corn straw cigarette and said:
– Yes … But I’m not lost …
Off course! There are specialists produce those advertisement, the can control your choices.
I think it’s really amazing and important idea that we need missly
Thank you for this episode
Advertising a product may encourage people to buy its products. It can affect your thoughts on the things that you saw in an advertisement. You feel like you want to try the product even though you don’t need it.
I think about a day where people celebrate not buying day as a peace day for the people who have that Holliday it can affect our environment as well because there will be fewer people driving their vehicles less pollution and we save electric energy.
– Umm sometimes. I think the advertising can effect on people who don’t have enough knowledge about the marketing or dealing with money.
– I think it’s good thing when we celebrate “not buying anything “ to improve our awareness about idea that make us know how can we manage our money .
Actually, This is first time, l have heard about Black Friday
i dont think so . actually i dont give the advertising any attention .
i think it was a good experience . because i have not black day in my country .
any way thank you for this program i really enjoyed
Thank you so much
Advertisement has a powerful, magical effect on people. Frequent advertisement make people buy products even if they don’t need it. The idea of “buy nothing a day” is an amazing idea that encourages people to suppress the desire to buy products in which they do not need
yes I dose , On my country , The people buying online specially the American sites because usually is the better prices .
I think we have to buy anything that we need it not for fun so to be more wishful
Yes , it does . I think it is a good idea to have buy nothing day which help us to never loss our money on things that we do not need .
Oh!
It’s the first time l heard about “buy nothing day”.
Really it’s a wonderful idea, i hope we can celebrate this day in my country.
The advertising doesn’t affect to me to buy more than I should. In my opinion about a day not buying anything is suitable for people who buy more than they need.
Sometimes Yes, In my opinion that is good way. Because the people don’t buying more than they need .
In my opinion, Black friday is a bad day. I never buy anything on this day. I think we should buy on the usaful apps. In my country, there are many app to buy in the internet such as: shopee, lazada, tiki,… Buying in the internet helps us not waste time to shopping and avoice to greed and violence.
I think that the day not buying anything is interesant because promouve the culture the saving and the priority
yes, the advertising make me shopping more than I need, I fact it makes me buy things that I don’t need.
a bout what I am think a bout a day where people celebrate *not buying anything* onstiy I am not sure, in my country people even don’t buy the nessassery things because they are badly paid or don’t have work. so it make sens they celebrating everyday in buy nothing day.
I dont have any idea a bout buy no thing day but now i know
l think “the buy no thing day ” it is the Price cuts day for me (:
and “buy nothing day is not problem in me culture.
this is very important objects , also i have this proplem ,
I’ve read a comment about his girl’s shopping. When she is happy, she goes shopping. When she is sad, she goes shopping, too,… These are reasons why people want to buy things that they want. For me, I wanna buy more and more things that have the right prices. When I saw an advertisement for the stores: sale up to 70%, I immediately come to the shop to buy clothes. It’s fun fact. In Vietnam, people often enjoy “Blackfriday”, it’s the time to buy more and more things at reasonable prices.
A great topic especially that I didn’t know why Black Friday originated.
I’m attracted by the products that appear in the ad, but I don’t buy much unless I need it.
The idea of celebrating buy nothing day is great, because it helps some to reduce your purchase.
sometimes and especially in technology iteams
in my openion, i think it is so useful idea to let the enviroment pullations decreasing, and learning people how to spend their money wisely.
When I watch something on the television, I always see an advertisement that advertises something and encourages you to buy it. So, you can it because you need it or you see it as beautiful and you can buy it more than you need. I think the idea is “Buy nothing day” which is a pretty cool idea. It helps consumers reduce their purchases. But it’s only for one day, it’s too short so it can’t change the culture of consumers. People will still buy things a lot. They buy things that may not really be necessary but they love shopping because it helps them relax. Some people buys things to satisfy their desire and reduce stress. I think people should change the culture of consumers. They should buy things that are necessary and of good quality. Because some people buy a lot of things because they are very cheap but they aren’t necessary. Everyone should change their shopping habits, we don’t need any “Buy Nothing Day” holiday. Because, everyday is a “Buy Nothing Day” with them.
Thank you guys I’m so exited and I try to learn and understand english ..i new student
Yes , at first i am very excited but over time reduce this excited
A strange and beautiful day, I didn’t know that..
NO, I really think twice before buying anything, l don’t like the way how people around me shopping, so I think there is no need for me to celebrate NOT BUYING ANYTHING DAY 😉
Sometimes, the Ad really bothers, but personally fo me, it is’n a problem, because I understood already long ago that the Ad it’s a just tool for manage people’s behavior and no more. What do I think about a “Buy Nothing Day” ? I think it’s a real opportunity for our society to become better.
Thanks, I had never heard about it before this topic. Probably the best way is to learn how to buy correctly, I think to buying nothing for a single day doesn’t solve the problem.
Thank you
The topic “Buying nothing day” is very good in terms of meaning and communication. Every problem in reality has many different aspects for us to consider. Listening practice is very useful
Thanks for this information, I’ve ever known about this day before. This advertising makes me should buy the things I really need, it does not like any others. It will be awesome if we have a day everyone don’t buy anything. Because we have Black Friday – a day for shopping so we should have a Buy nothing day to balance.
I don’t believe in advertising so much. But i sometimes also buy clothes or some personal belongings. When i hear this topic, maybe i will try on buy nothing day in the future. I only buy something what i needs for my life.
Actually, I am also a person who often buys through advertisings. I have blamed myself many times for this bad habit and am trying to adjust it. this is my first time hearing about “Buy Nothing Day” and I think it is very helpful for me right now. I will practice it in order to reduce the my addiction of buying.
Often advertising is help get giving offers for thing was wish paid before .
This depends for for the person Is able or not
About the ‘Buy Nothing Day’, I think that maybe it’s good for some countries.
In my opinion, instead of buying less or nothing, should buy better and necessary things. Should show people see and understand the harm of buying so much.
In my country, I don’t know Whether people buy too much or not, because I rarely care about this problem and I don’t like shopping so much. So advertising not affect to me so much, I only buy some things necessary.
The ads don’t make me want to buy more because I don’t have much money, I have to save. I really like the “Buy Nothing Day.”, it’s very meaningful and new experiences
love a day where people celebrate not buying anything. Just ignore all the stores and instead go out to nature to enjoy the a long walk on the beach, in the forest, a park, or next to the river.
Excuse me, this is the first time which I heared about ‘ Buy Nothing Day’
Here in Syria we don’t have enough money to buy our basically needs, so we don’t have to celebrate on this day.
It’s great idea, Because it helps you to save money and there are some people who are attracted by advertisements and pay a lot of money
This spotlight is very useful for me. Thank you very much.
I think I should enjoy with “Buy Nothing Day”, it look likes very great. Buying is not bed but buying so much is bad for the people around there.
Its good idea , because now the social media have a lot of advertising like food , clothing, when people watch that they go to buy it even they don’t want it ! The money is not for fun we should to keep it ..
yes . I think if you don’t buy anything on holidays, it seems very sad. So you have to buy a little to make it more fun and cozy
we known this holiday is reduce prices in a year, We waiting it come every year and buy many produce be extremely reduced price but we cant know this day is “Buy nothing day”, that so useful for knowlege!! Thanks this program for ur share!!
For me itis .y first time to hear about that day but if you ask me about my opinion that is a good idea
The consumer society is a big problem today. People need to satisfy their emotions by buying more and more, even though they don’t need these things. This type of initiative is very important.
Hi everybody – for me I”m not influenced to any advertising because i already knew that is lying on us – and always i purchase my things as i need only. my problem is with my wife because the women everywhere easier to be fooled and they have too much desire to buy all thing necessary and not necessary.
But for the – Buy Nothing Day – the first time i hear about it.
Hello.
I think what some people really have satisfying for to buy things. But the truly happiness is at experience of the life.
Sorry for any mistakes. I still learning that beautiful language.
Thanks you everyone that prepared this program to us.
Some people buying something without advantage and they lossing them money for nothing
Good topic and first time I listened about this day.
I’m enjoying today, thank you a lot.
Actually I’m first hearing about this “buying nothing day “ I think a good idea she great learning how people keep money and don’t is influenced by advertising
This is the fist time I know about Not Buying Day. It’s really useful to help people consume more rationaly. Thanks for Spotlight team.
in my conutry we don’t celebrate for “buy nothing day” it first time to hear about this celebrate we always but anithing anytime loool>
Sometimes the advertising meke me feel “you need this, you should to buy this item” that is a risk feel , you should to buy what exacly you need it not what you feel need it .
I think it is good celebrate in this day if that will change the think about the buying in the people .
I live in saudi a lot of people hear.espesially women love shopping and spend money for luxuries
In my opinion buying more is become a bad habit that we should stop it especilly in this day, even the advertising i dont buy a lot, for other culture they buy a lot of presents so celebrating one day without buy a thing can change a little bite to make people inderstand that buying can hurt the planet the others and the culture.
The more you want to buy
Celebrating not buying anything is ridiculous and I do not believe in these parties or holidays because I am a Muslim
I don’t know this day thanks to tell us
we want to do buy nothing a day ,because it is very important in my country and the people know about shopping so much is very bad
Actually looking deeper into it, it actually has ALOT of meanings even more what the inventor of this holiday even expressed. Because I also think that it’s also a way to appreciate poor and homeless people in fact instead of buying things on this holiday we can buy things to poor people who are not capable of buying anything for themselves because of their poverty we can make it a day to please and give, provide for poor people!!
This is so interesting , thanks so much…
You are welcome!
This episode was amasing and interesting
I liked the topic ,and I learned several things about comsumption
Thank you so much
It´s a very interesting topic and I thing it´s great idea to celebrate Buy nothing day
I find advertising makes us shop more and will spend a lot of money on unnecessary items, celebrating a day without shopping is also very meaningful, it helps us save a little money
Buying too much is not a problem in my culture,it’s depend on your money. If you have a lot of money you can buy anything you like. Nowadays, people almost buy online. So pushing advertising is good business way
that makes them buy something easier. I often buy more things I need not I want. That is my opinion.
For our cultural in Saudi Arabia ,
Buying too much is a problem and isn’t positive thing in Islam.
I think advertising clearly influence people to urge them to buy their products or services. From my point of view, buying nothing day is a good idea in order to remind people that the habit of purchasing too many stuff is a bad way.
It was an interesting and enjoyable experience to learn about “buy nothing day”.
It was so interesting
l don’t attract for addvertisments because l buy just things for neaded and I presarve it money when you neaded and I avoid extravigance because god I don’t like this work. In addition, I think people in celebrations musn’t be spend a lot of money for buying things no important and they do neded just they buy what they neaded it.
Yes.
I think that when they do not by anything they are doing a favor to the planet.