OptOutside shifts focus of Black Friday

The+OptOutside+movement+isnt+new+this+year%2C+but+a+growing+number+of+individuals+participate%2C+including+US+history+teacher+Andrea+Moerer.

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The OptOutside movement isn’t new this year, but a growing number of individuals participate, including US history teacher Andrea Moerer.

While thousands of Americans were out shopping the day after Thanksgiving, 9th grader Sara Browne and World History I teacher Andrea Moerer decided to OptOutside. OptOutside is an initiative started by REI in 2015. Every year since then, a large sum of their stores close on Black Friday, and their website is shut down for the day in an effort to encourage people to go outside instead of shopping.

“Last year my dad told me about [OptOutside] because of it’s connection to REI, and this year Dr. Moerer reminded me of it when she talked about it in advisory,” Browne said.

Browne spent her Black Friday hiking on Camelback Mountain in Arizona with her family.

“This is the first year I’ve participated in OptOutside. Black Friday is all about consuming commercial products, but instead I wanted to spend it with my family,” Sara Browne said.

People should be more attuned to experiences instead of consumerism.

— Andrea Moerer

Moerer found out about OptOutside in 2015 when it spread through media. After state parks started having free admittance on Black Friday, she and her family started to participate.

“I think that people buy too much stuff. Christmas and holiday buying season should not start that early. People should be more attuned to experiences instead of consumerism,” Moerer said.

Approximately 99 million people went Black Friday shopping in 2016. Numbers of shoppers have been decreasing at a steady rate, but Black Friday shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

“I think people should consider [OptOutside] because it’s better than spending money on materialistic things, and it’s good for you to go outside,” Browne said.