These days, people have replaced shopping with several other activities which they have chosen to do in their spare time as a hobby. There are a vast number of reasons why this change is happening in having a hobby time, but in my opinion, there are many more demerits to consider for this development.
One can think of numerous responsible for current changes in spare time activities preference. Most importantly, shopping centers have become an entertaining hub, providing vast recreational activities for their customers. If you go to a shopping mall nowadays, you will encounter a children’s playground as well as a food court, which was not conventional in malls previously. Accordingly, families devote much time to buying, as now they should not be concerned with their kids and can have a meal in a location where they are shopping. Furthermore, the power of advertisement should not be underestimated. Nowadays, the directors of malls have devoted a considerable amount of money to advertising in their budget. For instance, there is an increasing trend in the rate of commercial advertisements on billboards, online websites, and even at the beginning section of TV series.
However, I believe that this progress in spending leisure time has several disadvantages. Firstly, individuals have become much materialistic, and consumerism has been promoted in the whole society. It is obvious that in this condition, the rate of addiction to shopping will increase. An addicted person buys more merchandise, and becomes more eager to consume, which can result in a serious problem for their financial balance. In addition, the construction of shopping centers, the expansion of the packing industry, and the overusing of many products have irrecoverably damaged the environment. To clarify, heavy construction and production need to consume a considerable amount of water, and in many countries like the Middle Eastern countries, there is a significant lack of water resources. This increase also leads to the production of a significant amount of waste that harms nature.
To conclude, becoming an entertainment hub and the power of advertisement are the main causes of replacing shops with other spare time activities, while I believe that because of the increment in consumerism and damaging the environment, it is a negative advancement.