
Sunday Sales and Skyrocketing Seats: The Price of Progress
In today’s society, the once sacred Sunday has transformed into a prime time for profit, with every moment monetized—from early-morning football games on the West Coast to late-night shopping sprees. This shift reflects a broader cultural pivot towards relentless commercialism, a pivot that directly influences the escalating costs of event tickets and the changing dynamics of public gatherings.
Decades ago, CEO salaries were a fraction of what they are today, with top executives earning an average of $843,000 per year in 1965, adjusted for inflation. Now, that number has ballooned to an average of $20 million, mirroring the inflation in event ticket prices. This isn’t just economic adjustment; it’s indicative of a deeper cultural shift towards valuing profit over community experiences. High ticket prices are symptomatic of a society that prioritizes revenue above all else, a society that has turned its back on the communal, restorative essence of Sundays.
Moreover, the integration of technology into every aspect of our lives has only accelerated this shift. With smartphones and social media shortening our attention spans, traditional forms of entertainment like live sports or theater can seem tedious or unengaging. We flit from one digital snippet to another, losing our ability to engage deeply or remain present. Events, once communal rituals that anchored our social fabric, have become just another form of content to be consumed—or ignored—in favor of the next digital distraction.
This transformation began subtly, with the gradual erosion of Sunday as a day of rest and reflection. The day’s commercialization paved the way for a culture of ‘instant everything,’ from fast services to quick replies, setting the stage for a society that values speed over substance. As we grapple with these changes, our events have become both more expensive and less satisfying, reflecting a society more fragmented and frenetic than ever before.
As event prices climb and the nature of communal experiences shifts, we must question the cost of this new convenience. The loss of Sunday’s sanctity and the rise of rapid technological advancements have not only changed how we spend our money but also how we spend our time and focus our attention. We face a choice: continue down this path of fleeting interactions and fractured attention or recalibrate our values towards family, community, and connection.
It’s time to reflect on what we’ve lost in our pursuit of profit and efficiency. Reclaiming the essence of Sunday might be our first step toward restoring depth and meaning to our communal experiences, urging us to slow down, engage fully, and cherish the world beyond our screens. In doing so, we might find that the best parts of life aren’t compatible with haste or greed but require the very thing we’ve sacrificed: time.