Cole Mayer

My dad wants Rock Band for Christmas. My mom wants a Kindle. My cousin wants a new PlayStation. My girlfriend wants a new smartphone. What happened to the holiday spirit? What happened to giving a gift for the sake of giving?

It seems that all people want for the holidays is a new technologically advanced toy; most of these “toys” are out of a reasonable price range. How do they expect me to pay for the newest gaming system when I can barely afford to get them a used game? Should I even bother?

The fast answer is no, I should not. The advent of new technology has brought with it greed and desire for ever more pricey items, in an economy that might as well be part of a depression. Yet, here people are, asking for gizmos and gadgets.

Hmph. They want a Kindle? I will get them a book I know they will love. They want a new gaming system? I would get them an awesome board game. They want an entire Rock Band set? I will get them a book on how to play guitar.

Candyce Moore, junior journalism and women’s studies major, agrees that there is something wrong with being too focused on high-tech gifts.

“It’s (become) less about the act of giving because you care about someone and more about everyone wanting the latest tech gadget,” Moore said. “Anything (that is) not bought is not considered a good gift.”

Ryan Musser, senior communication studies major, disagrees, and does think that giving a present is still personal.

“We have not become too high-tech in our demands, the world has just become high-tech in general,” Musser said. “I know plenty of family and friends that love to buy others presents that they feel will be greatly enjoyed. I don’t see a problem with that as long as people still engage in physical interaction.”

I still see no reason to giving in and buying whatever thingamabobbit is the latest techno fad.

Not many people bother to take the time to lovingly pick out a gift specifically tailored for their loved ones; for the majority, it is simply a motion of buying what the person they are buying for wants, not what they need or something that they will feel is connected to the giver.

When was the last time you handmade an ornament as a gift for your significant other? Or what about the last time you went to Borders, taking two hours to find the one novel that hits all the story ideas that your best friend loves? I will hazard a guess that the closest you came to that is getting a gift card and calling it quits.

Nay, I say, it is time to take the holidays back and make it a proverbial giver’s market. It is time to put a thinking cap on (cleverly disguised as a Santa cap), and hand-pick the perfect present.

Think of alternatives and be creative. Get something that is not horribly expensive.

Get something that is needed, not “wanted.” I want this, I want that. Want, want, want. What about what people need?

The holidays are, in part, a time for feeling connected to one another through giving gifts, not just shoving some shiny gizmo at someone and waiting for reciprocation.

Make a gift or spend an hour in a store searching for something that screams their name.

But for the love of the holidays, do not get a gift card.

Cole Mayer can be reached at [email protected].