It is not very often that the goal of an anti-corporate movement involves people not participating, but last Friday the message was clear: Buy Nothing.
Advocates of Buy Nothing Day say that people should abstain from consumer consumption for one day to create a debate about sustainable forms of expenditure and economic growth. The international protest, sponsored by Adbusters, was also meant to make people think twice about the plethora of advertisements, billboards, and posters that inundate our senses, telling us to buy, buy, buy.
On the University of Toronto campus, students were familiar with the concept of the day, but not many were active participants. “Oh, that was today?” exclaimed Byron White, an architecture student.
Many students were initially confident that they could easily go through an entire 24-hour period without buying anything. But their coffee, cigarettes, and bus/subway fare frequently came up as “must-buys.”
Vipin Tiwari, a criminology student, admitted to not being able to abstain from purchasing anything. “No, I couldn’t participate. I have to get smokes, and I need to take the subway. Most days I don’t have the intention of buying anything, since I’m on a budget, but you can spend ten dollars like nothing.”
The line-up at the Second Cup in Sid Smith Hall was typical—long and winding, composed of people longing for caffeine or a warm drink. Asked if there had been any lag in customers, an employee stated, “It’s always a bit slower on Fridays, but it’s still been a constant flow.”
