Curated Content

Understanding the Flip Side of Christmas to Enjoy This Special Day for Those Who Celebrate It

A Christmas Gift Story for Dear Medium Friendship Members

I recently joined an exciting program on this platform called Medium Friendship. I explained its benefits in a recent post by upgrading my publication accounts. I also upgraded my personal account to contribute to writers' earnings and inspire them to create better content.

When I asked some early adopters what they expected from the program, they all said they wanted to read curated, quality, and impactful content that could add meaning to their lives. They also want to discover influential and accomplished writers who share their life experiences or research.

As an avid reader, content curator, owner of multiple publications, and editor, I believe I can support Medium Friends to achieve these goals and satisfy the needs of Medium Friends.

As we are approaching Christmas celebrated by millions of people, I want to introduce an exceptional story published on ILLUMINATION-Curated today, which attracted my attention.

This story is compelling and insightful as it reveals lesser-discussed facets of Christmas that profoundly impact our economy, mental health, and environment, resonating with everyone in society. The story titled The Flip Side of Christmas was written by Seda Anbarcı.

I want to summarize the story to capture its central themes surrounding Christmas, consumerism, mental health, environmental impact, and the conflict between materialism and the holiday’s true essence.

Here’s the Summary of Flip Side of Chrismas by Seda Anbarci

1 — The story questions the morality of over-commercializing a religious celebration, highlighting the disparities between extravagant spending and the existence of homeless and impoverished individuals.

2 — The holiday season is marked by excessive spending and overconsumption, with statistics revealing staggering amounts spent on gifts in the US and the UK, well beyond individuals’ monthly incomes.

3 — The focus on materialistic gifts has overshadowed the essence of spending quality time with family during Christmas. This culture of excessive gift-giving stems from societal pressures and fuels greed.

4 — Christmas shopping triggers dopamine release, creating a cycle of pleasure-seeking behavior associated with giving and receiving gifts. However, this gift obsession creates a distorted sense of fulfillment.

5 — Overconsumption during Christmas has severe environmental repercussions. The production and disposal of goods contribute significantly to environmental degradation, from excessive packaging to the disposal of electronics and live Christmas trees.

6 — There’s a conflict between the capitalistic interests driving overconsumption during Christmas and the original spirit of the holiday, which focuses on compassion, generosity, and religious significance.

The story concludes with a call for reevaluation, quoting Mahatma Gandhi to emphasize the distinction between meeting needs and succumbing to greed.

What if the surplus from our extravagant spending during the holidays went to those in dire need, to the homeless and the most vulnerable among us? Imagine the transformative power and impact if our generosity redirected this excess wealth to those who truly need it.

I believe you will enjoy this wonderful story and share it with your friends as I provide a friend link that anyone can read for free.

From her writer profile, you can learn more about Seda, a professional screenwriter with a science background.

I found one more interesting Christmas story today, which surprised me as a game enthusiast and parent. It shows a cultural and behavioral change in the gaming community worth checking out if you have kids. This story was written by a game expert and editor of my publications Aiden (Illumination Gaming)

The Most Joyful Time of the Year Is Associated with Increased Suicide Rate, Paradoxically.

Last year, this time, I wrote an important story sharing my research on the mental health impact of Christmas and New Year time globally. If you missed that story, you may read it using this Friend Link.

Talking about mental health, I wrote many articles about it compiled in a story. I am grateful that in 2023, my mental health content made a significant impact globally, documented and announced by an independent content management organization.

Introduction to Some Leaders with Mental Health Focus

I recently introduced several leaders who understand mental health based on their research and practice focus, like Melissa Kalt, MD, Dr. ADAM TABRIZ, Pernoste & Dahl, Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D.., and Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi. I invite you to explore their profiles and inspiring content on this platform.

I wish you all a happy Christmas with your loved ones.

Let’s meet some of my Medium Friends and connect with them to celebrate this festive season.

Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Elizabeth Emerald, Dawn Ulmer, Lorwen Harris Nagle, PhD, Antonio Segovia, MD., David Mokotoff, MD, Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Dr John Frederick Rose, Dr. Christine Chuckle, Dr. Julian Barkan, Mike Broadly, DHSc, Martha Manning, Ph.D., Michael Burg, MD (Satire Sommelier), Wayne Stelk, PhD, Seda Anbarcı, Rebecca Romanelli, Sven Vandenberghe, tarun bhatt, David B. Grinberg 🇺🇸, Pernoste & Dahl, Annelise Lords, Elaine Hilides, Bill Abbate, Angie Mangino, Haimish Mead, Rui Alves, Amir Bibi, Marcus Musick, The Bumble Life, Ali Alzahrani, Editor, Zeem, Barbara J. Martin, Luay Rahil, Sherry Atkinson, Jay Squires, Tom Kane, Fiona McDerment, Ammara Hassan, Rick Allen, Akaahan Terungwa, Mariana Busarova, Daniela Dragas, john creed, Meghan E. Gattignolo, Britt H., Shanté Nixon, Darlene López, Arosa Jabein, James Boylan, Ivylockewrites, Jodes Wiltshire, Kashi Writes, Robin Christine Honigsberg, Jill Ebstein, Libby Shively McAvoy, Lysandros Lysandrou, Alina Pitt, NADINE H, Senetta Diane, Omni Essence, Power of Positivity, Deborah Camp, Misty Rae, ✅ Doc Samurai Sam, Mhstuart, Wesley van Peer, Hira Chaudhry, Anshul Kummar, Ruby Noir 😈, Memoona Bilal, Charles Davie, Ani Vals, Cancer Husband, Usman Khalid Qureshi, Pete J J, Jake Roper, Gill McCulloch. FranMorelandJohns. Lovely Poems, Sanjay Singhal, Michael Zwierzanski, Patricia Ross, George M Pantazis, Lanu Pitan🥰, Matthew Bamberg, Leon Macfayden, Justiss Goode — 2.0, Marcus aka Gregory Maidman, Scarlet Ibis James 🦩, Frank Ontario | empathy, logic, love., Prasanna Srinath Subhasinghe, Joanie Adams — Sightseer; Conjurer Of Words, Oksana Kukurudza’s Sunflowers Rarely Break, Harry Hogg, Jamel Hendley/Greenviool/PawProfits, JD Adams ~ Stories From the Mountain, Pierre. Climate change & solutions. Parenteeny — teenagers can do more, Delaney Patterson, Livia Dabs RN,MSc, The Sturg, Øivind H. Solheim, David Rudder, Nanie Hurley 🌿, Haroon Shauket, Javad Oftadeh, Momentum, Sam writes 🌸, Eiman Fatima, B.R. Shenoy, Sweet Honeylu, Yana Bostongirl, The Daily Updater, Dr.Ramesh Chaurasiya, Saeed Sobhani two, Hammad Ahmad, Sania Haroon, Iqraashraf, Flow-Writer🌻, Alyce, Nedelcu Alina, Derya Gungor, Ph.D., Mariana Izabelle 💫

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

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Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, and humor.

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I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness. Be Your Own Therapist in 10 Steps.

If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 25K+ writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories.