On Saturday, I will be going to my friend Evelyn’s birthday party. She’s turning 20, and has been my best friend since high school. I needed to buy her a gift, so I decided to purchase her gift while doing this experiment.

I had a couple of goals going into this experiment. My friend is a big Broadway, Disney, and Harry Potter fan, so I wanted to buy something related to her passions. I set myself a $50 budget and had to buy a card along with the gift.

On Wednesday the 22nd at 3pm, I went to a number of different stores along Main Street in New Paltz. Eventually, I ended up in Heady Teddy’s Outfitters, where I bought her a generic mug. Some of the other stores I stopped at were Antiques on Main, Inquiring Minds Bookstore, and Groovy Blueberry. It was fun hopping from one store to another. I went with a different friend, and it was a good chance to socialize and laugh. I didn’t know ahead of time what the stores had in stock, so I was unaware of what I would find. I ultimately found some nice things, such as outfits and bags. Evelyn has a very specific style, however, so none of the clothes I found worked. Not knowing what the stores had in stock was a nerve-racking experience, since I needed to buy something for a specific purpose. I ultimately bought her a generic gift from the physical store.

Not using my phone was easier than I thought it would be. My friend provided enough distraction as we joked around. A couple of times, I found myself tempted to check if I got any messages. I had to fight my habitual tendency to open my phone.

When we entered Heady Teddy’s Outfitters, my friend had to excuse himself and step outside. He said that it was too crowded in the store, making him nervous. This is something I hadn’t considered when comparing browsing vs scrolling. Those who have social anxiety or don’t do well in crowded places benefit from scrolling. There’s no one around, so you can take your time without feeling pressured.

The next day, Thursday the 23rd at 1:30pm, I went on Amazon to search for a second gift. It was a slightly lonely experience, and I found myself wanting to text people in order to socialize. However, I wasn’t limited by what a physical store carried. I was able to find niche products that better suited my friend. For example, I found a Harry Potter cookbook for college students. Evelyn is going to college to become a chef, and is a big Harry Potter fan, so it was perfect.

After about half an hour of scrolling, I started to get distracted. I was looking up objects that weren’t related to my search. I spent approximately three hours looking at camping equipment, instruments, and other random items. Online stores such as Amazon promote unrestricted browsing. In a physical store, once you walk through the whole store, you’ve seen everything. On Amazon, there are hundreds of thousands of objects up for sale. If one isn’t careful, they could spend the whole day doing nothing but scrolling.

After I bought both gifts, I was conflicted about which experience was better. While I socialized with my friend at the physical store, I was able to buy a better gift online. Since both browsing and scrolling have their benefits and issues, I feel that a mix between the two is ideal. When someone wants to socialize, physically see the objects, and have a restricted browsing experience, going to a physical store is better. However, if someone wants privacy, the ability to find niche products, and an unrestricted browsing experience, then online stores are ideal.