Twenty Years of Cyber Monday — What Does Our Spending Say About Our Souls?
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Cyber Monday turns 20 this year, marking two decades of explosive online shopping growth. Originally coined in 2005 to encourage e-commerce after Black Friday, the digital shopping day has now eclipsed its in-store counterpart. Last year, Cyber Monday generated an estimated $13.2 billion in sales, with shoppers spending nearly $16 million per minute during the evening rush. This year’s spending is projected to reach $14.2 billion—potentially the largest online shopping day in history. As retailers stretch discounts across weeks and blur the lines between sales events, Cyber Monday continues to shape how Americans spend, save, and seek satisfaction in the digital age.
As our culture pours billions into “once-a-year” deals, how can we guard our hearts against hurry, comparison, and excess—and choose contentment rooted in God rather than in what we can buy?
Spending is addictive, isn’t it? Spending when you can save is even more enticing. But did you know that the spending frenzy of Cyber Monday has been a habit for the last 20 years? For two decades, digital consumption has been at our fingertips. It’s never been easier to click “buy,” scroll on Amazon, and have presents delivered the next day. But how do we as Christians pursue contentment in a culture discipled by deals?
The Deal Behind the Name
In 2005, Cyber Monday was coined by the National Retail Federation as the online shopping day on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Since then, retailers have used the name to brand a day characterized by stellar deals online. Especially after Black Friday, the “cyber” day often offers even better deals for those who didn’t want to brave the crowds the day after Turkey Day.
Quickly, the day ballooned into a yearly event. Broadcast by Amazon, local retailers, and mobile shopping stores alike, Cyber Monday has become a full week or month-long discount. Online sales have dominated in-store shopping and tapped into humans’ psychological drives—we want to avoid scarcity marketing at all costs, look forward to countdown timers, and see personalized ads pop up on our YouTube or Netflix for something we were just talking about!
As inflation and holiday financial stress rise, customers actually become more and more reliant on these “deals.” But what if these spending habits aren’t just economic, but point to something deeper? More important? More spiritual?
Where Is Your Treasure?
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says these words about what we value:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV).