The busiest shopping day of the year may not be so frenzied this year. The Adbusters Media Foundation is promoting Friday as Buy Nothing Day in hopes that people will think more about their spending.

The Adbusters Media Foundation is “a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century,” states the Adbusters Web site at www.adbusters.org.

“The idea of Buy Nothing Day is to stop and think about how our consumption is destroying the planet and others who live on it,” said Chris Morris, supporter of Adbusters Magazine and volunteer for the day.

The United States isn’t the only country involved with the movement.

Buy Nothing Day originated in Canada in 1992, Morris said. While working in advertising, Canadian Ted Dave decided to act against the constant appeal to over-consume. In an attempt to attract people to his groundbreaking idea, he came up with a motto: “Enough is enough!”

Since 1992, some countries worldwide have implemented the idea of the International Buy Nothing Day and incorporated it into activities every November. At least 13 countries will participate this year, according to www.ddh.nl/nwd/english.htm, a Web site that is promoting the movement.

People in nearly 65 different countries often participate in some kind of Buy Nothing Day, Morris said. In some countries, however, the actual day may vary. In the United Kingdom, for instance, Saturday will be its no-shopping day this year.

According to www.buynothingday.co.uk, more than one million people throughout the world are expected to participate in the event. However, others disagree with the movement and choose not to engage themselves in such activity.

“It would be bad for the economy and bad for individual stores,” said Brianna Butz, a junior journalism major.

Working in retail, Butz said she has experienced how busy the Cherry Vale Mall in Rockford gets each year the day after Thanksgiving. From Thanksgiving until Christmas Day, the Finish Line that Butz works at takes in 25 percent of its projected monthly sales in a few days, she said.

“That day, you have to take advantage of sales,” she said.

Kenneisha Anderson, a senior human resources management major, also is against Buy Nothing Day.

It’s a tradition to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, Anderson said. Shopping is her way of welcoming the Christmas season and it puts her in the holiday spirit.

“If I have the money, I’m definitely going shopping that day,” she said.

The intent of the Buy Nothing Day movement is to reflect on the over-consumption of the economy, which dominates the media and perhaps many of people’s daily life choices and aspirations, according to www.ecoplan.org/ibnd/ib_index.htm.

With that intent in mind, Butz said one day of not shopping would not help the problem. She said the movement would have to occur over a longer period of time to accomplish its goals.

“There’s not one person or one organization that has the power to stop everyone from shopping,” Butz said.

Carl Campbell, an associate economics professor at NIU, said the economy would not be significantly affected by this day. Even if people decide to not buy anything for that one day, Campbell said, they’d just buy things the next day or the next week.

Campbell said he does, however, believe that U.S. citizens consume too much. One aspect of that is current savings rates, he said. Savings rates are very low compared to 20 years ago, he said. Two decades ago people were saving more and spending less.

Neelam Jain, also an associate economics professor, said it is unlikely that a movement such as Buy Nothing Day will be successful.

However, in the rare case it was successful, it would be hard to determine if Buy Nothing Day will have an effect on the economy, Jain said, because many different factors must be considered.

“It’s not a good thing,” she said. “The market won’t work that way.”