The Price of a Perfect Christmas
By Katie Joyce
Brighly coloured lights, catchy jingles and time with family. The celebration of Christmas is observed by around two billion people every year, spanning more than 160 countries.
However, beneath the cozy surface there is a significant issue facing those celebrating - the obligation to spend beyond our means.
With the influx of online influencers telling you what you need for this holiday season; the festive season is becoming increasingly difficult to separate from consumerism. The holiday that was once a celebration of giving is now accompanied with an expectation to buy, display and consume more than ever.
Social media has a significant role in this. Starting as early as October, platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are flooded with festive shopping hauls, luxury advent calendars and endless gift recommendations. For influencers, Christmas is not a time for celebration, it's the time for selling.
A striking example is the popularity of luxury beauty advent calendars. Brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Dior and LookFantastic offer elaborate collections containing dozens of products, often worth hundreds of pounds. These calendars are frequently showcased through influencer unboxing and review videos.
Another example of this is Black Friday. Once associated with discounted essentials, the annual shopping event has evolved into a huge online marketing opportunity. Influencers promote discount codes, shopping lists and supposedly unmissable deals, encouraging viewers to buy things they might not have even considered.
The increase of influencer marketing has blurred the boundaries between entertainment and advertising. The distinction between wanting something and being persuaded to want it has become almost impossible to recognise.
This is particularly noticeable with younger audiences. Research by Croes and Bartels found that identification with influencers can dictate purchasing behaviour. When audiences perceive an influencer as relatable or trustworthy, their recommendations can hold considerable weight.
This culture of excess comes at a cost. The Bank of England has highlighted significant increases of household spending during December, while environmental concerns about festive waste continue to grow.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has highlighted a 30% increase in household waste during the holiday period, including discarded gifts and packaging.
For households already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, the pressure to participate in this culture is especially high. When expensive gift recommendations and extravagant seasonal hauls dominate social media feeds, ordinary celebrations can start to feel inadequate.
Influencers are not solely responsible for society's spending habits. Brands have relied on seasonal advertising for decades and Christmas has always involved commercial activity. However, social media has introduced a new dimension - advertising disguised as everyday life, delivered by personalities that audiences feel they know and can trust.
Perhaps the most concerning part of modern, festive consumerism is how easily excess has been normalised. When thousands of products are presented as essentials for a perfect Christmas, it becomes near impossible to distinguish celebration from consumption.
Ultimately, the problem is not buying presents or decorating your home. It is the growing expectation that these experiences must be bigger, better and more expensive every year.
Christmas is supposed to be about time together and gifts that show how well you know others; not how much we spend. Yet in an online world where almost anything can be monetised, even the season of closeness has a price tag.