Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, a time for giving to the people closest to you. A variety of students and teachers alike go holiday shopping for themselves and their companions on Black Friday because of the significant discounts that some stores offer. For example, you can score a cheap smart TV at Best Buy starting at just $99.99, with an original price of $169.99; definitely a steal. On Friday, Nov. 26, Black Friday will be in full swing.

In the years 2017 to 2020, an average of 36% of consumers had planned to do the majority of their shopping on Black Friday. Black Friday is also officially the busiest day to go shopping, including both online and in-store purchases. The National Broadcast Company proves that Black Friday topped Cyber Monday with data from the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“Black Friday saw 93.2 million shoppers compared with 83.3 million on Cyber Monday,” The NRF explained.

There's something about the holiday that people do not always consider, though. Businesses often to engage in unethical practices and harm people who work for them, especially children. A couple of the most common unethical business practices are false product claims, unsafe working conditions, hidden terms in user agreements and even child labor. Employees can feel pressure to meet certain deadlines and beat competitors, so some businesses partake in unethical behavior to reach such goals. There is no reason to be ashamed of shopping during Black Friday. It’s festive, cheaper and an excuse to get out of the house. But the ideology of Thanksgiving is that it’s a holiday to celebrate life's blessings, a day dedicated to gratefulness, so people should be careful of what stores they are buying from -- many companies support or indulge in unjustifiable or illegal actions. Wisestep, a recruiting software, shared a list of the top 28 companies that either support child labor, have unsafe working conditions, or both.

Purchasing from stores with good morals and actions is crucial to represent the spirit of Thanksgiving itself. One should keep in mind what they are thankful for before shopping, unaware of companies that use child labor and risky work environments. Being thankful for clothes, food, health, family, and multiple other factors present more reasons as to why people should keep away from businesses that use unethical practices. If one is thankful for health, buying from labor-reliant stores only provides profit to businesses that are destroying children’s mental and physical health. That seems pretty controversial to the idea of gratitude. Garry Gallway, a hallway monitor at Naperville North High School, explains his emotions regarding Black Friday and companies that are involved in child labor and illegal activities.

“I am 100% aware of companies [that are] controversial for using child labor, but it feels almost unavoidable. The immense amount of guilt I would feel knowing I am giving profit to a child labor involved company is unreal,” Gallway said.

Unfortunately, child labor is normalized among many companies. Acknowledging that it exists and trying to prevent purchasing from stores that practice it is important, especially on a day with as much sales revenue for stores on Black Friday. Jordon Mcswain, a senior at NNHS, explained the simplicity of circumventing stores that use child labor.

“Doing a quick 30-second Google search never hurt anyone. It is honestly so easy for people to avoid shopping at places that use child labor, but no one seems to think twice about it,” Mcswain said.

Children are being put to work in unsafe conditions, and yet we continue to purchase with ignorance, choosing convenience instead, and thereby boosting profits for stores engaging in child labor. Child labor is severely detrimental to the health of children and causes multiple problems, including premature aging, malnutrition, depression, and drug dependency. According to The Centre for Childs Rights and Business, some brands and retailers are taking action to fight against the use of child labor.

“Brands and retailers have committed to The Centre’s Joint Action Pledge for the Elimination of Child Labour.”The Centre for childs rights and buisness stated.

While enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday and pondering what you are grateful for, be aware of stores that partake in harmful and unsafe actions. Purchasing from stores with ethical behavior and good intentions doesn't just impact individual morals, but also influences change among humanity. People influence styles and create trends that others want to take part in themselves. Avoiding stores involved with unjustifiable or illegal actions will sway others to veer away from them as well. According to Luci Szombathy, a senior at NNHS, taking that moment to search for a few stores that do not participate in child labor can be beneficial.

“Morally, I felt a lot better knowing I was giving my money to retailers and brands that have a positive impact on society. I am grateful for awareness, and the ability to inform others about societal issues.” Szombathy said.

Enjoy the holiday without the Black Friday oblivion. Shop til you drop!