Vampire shoppers

Vampire shoppers

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More and more people are spending the night shopping. Who are these people? They are sleep-deprived parents, shift-workers, and game players, etc. And also insomniac, who are suffering from the agony of sleeplessness due to mental health issues or illnesses or too much stress.

Previously, people who can’ sleep easily might turn from right to left, from left to right, count sheep, or just lying in bed with widely opened eyes. Now they can access to laptops and smartphones, and do some shopping at deep night, that is why they are called “vampire shoppers”.

But is it always a good idea?

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We all love shopping, mooching around the shopping mall from one shop to another, shone by the brightly lighting, surrounded by beautiful stuff. That is my ideal of wonderland.

With the rise of online shopping, it is much easier than ever before. With a smart phone at hand, you can buy stuff any time, from anywhere, as online shops never close.

According to the UK Office for National Statistics, about 19.8% of retail sakes have taken place online. And the ratio is still rising continually. That is amazing.

However, one problem appears for vampire shoppers. When people are tired and feel sleepy, they probably can’t think straight and make wise decisions. People with mental health issues, can’t resist the urge to buy a lot of things they don't really need.

We need willpower to resist the temptation of advertising of all sorts of stuff. But when we are sleep derived, the level of willpower will be reduced to a lower comparing to our normal status.

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After a night of sleepless online shopping, how do these people feel? Are they happy? Or are they feel satisfied with what they have bought?

Unfortunately, the answer is a sad one. People often feel regretted for what they bought at night, but they are reluctant to return them back and get a refund as they are ashamed of their purchase. They just put these stuff away and pretend they didn’t happen.

For people with mental health issues, it’s even harder to return things back, it’s a struggle for them, a great effort.

We know that online shops are open 24 hours a day, so the temptation is always there.

What should we do? Maybe we should cut off the line and continue counting sheep in bed. Then, we won't feel regretted in the morning and our wallet will be protected.

Vampire shoppers