One of the recent trends has been that, when picking presents, some individuals opt for money or gift cards instead of something tangible. Driven by the abundance of choice and the lack of personal time, this shift has become a target of criticism from skeptics, as they point out that the real root cause might be our banal lazyness. While acknowledging that it might have become harder to single out a suitable gift nowadays, I believe that people should not become complacent.
In my opinion, this trend is largely attributed to consumerism that accompanies modern capitalistic societies: the shelves are flooded with tons of items, making it difficult to zero in on the most appropriate present. For instance, in the mid-twentieth century, hiking poles were a desireable gift for someone big on outdoor activities, nowadays, they might not fit in terms of size, color, or some other characteristic. Another side is the hectic nature of modern life. Trying to keep up with the relentless pace of the contemporary world, people have less opportunities to set aside sufficient time for such rituals as selecting presents, eventually shifting this responsibility onto the recipient themselves.
Diving into the merits and demerits of such a trend, on the one hand, the allure of gifting money migh appeal to many, as it eliminates the risk of giving something useless while sparing us many hours of sifting through shopping catalogs; conversely, this devoids the present of any personal touch and shows the lack of care. Indeed, a present in a form of money nearly screams: “It took them a few seconds to take it out of their wallet and give it to you.” Reflecting on my personal experience, such gifts are often frowned upon and used as a last resort, highlighting that two individuals are not close friends.
To conclude, although gifting money or gift cards is trending nowadays, I believe that people still must put in sufficient work of expressing such signs of care and affection as selecting presents for their friends and loved ones.