SHOPPING: THE NEW NATIONAL SPORT

Inevitably, all the people have to buy things from time to time. But
there are people who go shopping to relax or to escape from a gloomy
and mundane daily life. While for some people shopping is just another
daily activity that needs to be done to provide for their family's needs,
others may get a lot of anxiety wandering around stores. Having turned
shopping into a leisure activity will inevitably have future consequences,
which will undoubtedly lead to other social changes. Now, the question
of who will step outside this system to think about the eventual
consequences still remains unanswered.
In recent years, many people have adopted the habit of going
shopping as a hobby and have renounced to other traditional activities
such as socializing with their peers. Activities such as sports or a sincere
conversation with their families and friends have surrendered to the
charms of modern, materialistic society. People shop not only to keep up
with the trends any more. Deceitful fantasies about personal appearance
and social success blinds buyers, who become narcissistic and selfcentered. In the end, instead of opening their range of friends and social
activities, which would be tremendously enriching for them and for
their society, people end up isolating themselves and choosing friends
who wear the same expensive clothing or have the latest mobile phone.
Peer pressure may be decisive at the moment of buying, in the need of
making new friends or feeling accepted by society. 'To have or not to
have' the latest and most expensive clothing, cars or gadgets has
recently become a national sport. Evidently, upbringing today lacks solid
moral values.
Commerce success depends largely on people's low self-esteem,
complexes and anxiety. There are people who may have such a strong
Essay Shopping by Ana Sofa -11 mayo 2015

desire to buy new things, that they leave everything behind and rush to
the nearest shop searching for something that would cheer them up.
Clearly, a shop is seen as a place where they can relax and forget about
all the troubles that they have to deal with during the day, or a place
to escape from boredom, anger or sadness. That is to say, shopping is a
way for them to deal with stress, some kind of therapeutic resource,
though it is clearly not solving any emotional need whatsoever. I do not
see this habit would ever harm anyone, provided that they can afford
their shopping without getting indebted, and that they understand that
the shopping would never solve their emotional problems. Probably,
speaking about their problems with friends or family will surely alliviate
their anxiety and will keep them from buying unnecessary things.
But when it comes to a serious emotional disorder, it is evident
why shopaholics will never be completely satisfied with their purchases.
As they suffer from an addiction, the things they buy never fill the
emptiness they have inside. Deceitful advertising campaigns promise
potential customers that their product will satisfy all their physical,
emotional and social needs. And though people are aware of the deceit,
they yield to the temptation and acquire the product, only to find out
that the products never fulfill their expectations. And so the cycle starts
again: they feel empty and frustrated, and start searching for another
product. Sooner or later, these people will have to face the fact that
peace, self-acceptance and self-love cannot be bought. No matter how
glamorous, shiny, or luxurious an article may be, none of them will ever
have the therapeutic power of a hug, a kiss, or words of acceptance and
love.
All things considered, today nobody can deny that shopping is
inevitable. City dwellers have no escape but to buy everything they need
to cover both basic needs and wants. The challenge we face today is

Essay Shopping by Ana Sofa -11 mayo 2015

when we decide what is a basic need and what is not, because that
concept has radically changed over time, take mobile phones as an
example. It is evident that people who take shopping as a hobby, as a
kind of therapy, or as an obssession are unable to judge what is the
efficient way of dealing with their emotions, and eventually it will be
costly for them. As a child, I did not get everything I asked for,
expensive gadgets were unimaginable, and most frequently my friends
and I ended up creating our own games and toys. I cannot claim to
know the answer to solve society's problems, but I will definitely teach
my children to be creative and run away from the slavery of social
trends as fast as they can.
Words: 762
score: above B2

BIG MALLS vs LOCAL SHOPS:

A remarkable aspect of modern society is shopping. For some
people, shopping is a pleasure, for others it is a nuisance. An important
aspect of shopping to take into consideration is the place where people
go to shop. In this essay, I will describe some aspects of the two main
types of shops.
Big malls are frequented by people who prefer to buy everything
they need in one place. From clothing to gardening tools, shopping malls
offer a wide range of products and brands, including additional facilities
for shoppers such as nursery centres, restaurants, cafs, etc. Shopping
malls may be criticised and considered to be the icon of a consumerist
society, but the truth is that doing the shopping may be a timeconsuming activity, and most of the times people prefer to pay higher
prices in a mall and avoid the ordeal of visiting many shops to get all
Essay Shopping by Ana Sofa -11 mayo 2015

they need. Normally people choose to shop in a mall to get everything in

one go: people who do not own a car avoid walking long distances from
shop to shop, and people who possess a car have no difficulty in finding
a parking place. From many viewpoints, malls facilitate our lives and
benefit all the area where they are located, for many businesses around
them may thrive thanks to them.
Small shops have their faithful defendants too, though. The people
who cannot stand crowds of shoppers and long queues, love frequenting
local shops, which are normally looked after by their owners and by
their families. Normally, the customer service provided in these small
businesses is much friendlier. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) aim
at promoting loyalty among their clients by being friendlier than
shopping malls' staff. Small shops are very much appreciated in small
towns where locals have a clear conscience of the interdependence
between neighbours. Giving their money to people they know and
respect gives them a sense of social justice that would be lost if they
bought in multinationals, which are known to be favoured by
govenmental tax policies despite having an unfair treatment towards
their employees. Besides, local shops encourage the work of local
craftmen and artists, who are completely looked down on by shopping
malls, which promote only famous brands, which not always succeed in
meeting the national taste.
To conclude, I believe that small shops will always survive, in spite
of the fact that multinationals will always get most of the profits.
Despite this hectic, technologically advanced society, there will always be
people who would rather buy in a local shop, have a nice talk and a
laugh with the clerk they know well, and will prefer to be treated with
familiarity. Hopefully, they will teach their children the art of simplicity,
and they will be able to favour their townsmen and invest in the

Essay Shopping by Ana Sofa -11 mayo 2015

proyects of their neighbours. It is my belief that living in a closely linked

society will make people happier than any promotion in a big store
where they are just anonymous beings.
Words: 507
Score: above B2

Essay Shopping by Ana Sofa -11 mayo 2015