With access to the Internet come some truly life-changing advantages. One of the greatest benefits is that the Internet has brought with     1     the convenience of shopping at our leisure (闲暇) in the comfort of our own home. However, for many, the appeal of shopping for bargains (物美价廉的商品) and treats can turn into an addiction. Experts believe there is a danger that online shopping can develop into a mental illness.     2     (research) from the Hannover Medical School in Germany have termed it “Buying Shopping Disorder”(BSD). They say this condition should     3     (recognize) by the medical profession as an illness and should not     4     (simple) be classed as one of the various “impulse control” disorders. Psychotherapist Dr. Astrid Miller said, “It really is time to     5     (broad) our knowledge about BSD on the Internet.”

Dr. Miller and her colleagues     6     (conduct) research on data from earlier studies on compulsive shopping. Their research focused on 122 patients     7     sought treatment for BSD. Dr. Muller reported that about five percent of the population may be suffering from BSD. She added younger people are     8     (likely) to develop it and     9     they experience greater levels of anxiety and depression. People with BSD readily exhibit negative behaviors. These include buying expensive things they don’t need, keeping and never     10     (use) things they order, buying things for immediate satisfaction, and ending up in debt. BSD can destroy marriages, relationships, and mental health.

2 . Sending a package back is not easy. Repacking, printing labels and shipping it back up to the seller is an increasingly familiar experience for online shoppers. In America 21%of online orders, worth some $218bn, were returned in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation, up from 18%in 2020. For clothing and shoes it can reach around 40%.

The problem has its roots in the birth of e-commerce. To compete with bricks-and-mortar (实体的) sellers and make consumers comfortable with ordering online, e-commerce firms offered free returns. Consumers came to expect it.

Each step of the process is costly. Retailers have to pay for goods to be picked up or posted. Processing returns is labor-intensive (劳动密集型), explains Zac Rogers who worked as a returns manager at Amazon. A return must be opened and someone has to decide what to do with it. “A worker in an Amazon warehouse can pick 30 items in a minute, but a return can take ten minutes to process, ” says Mr. Rogers.

Once processed, only 5% of the returned goods can be resold immediately by retailers. Most go to liquidators at the lowest prices or are thrown away.

One solution involves adding friction (阻力). Last year, a Japanese fashion brand became one of the first retailers to charge a small fee for posted returns. Other firms are selling more refurbished (翻新的) goods as a way to cut losses.

Startups are getting in on the action. Using artificial intelligence to help retailers decide what to do with the returned goods is the brainchild of them. Happy Returns, another startup, helps with logistics (物流). It has 5, 000 drop-off points for returns across America, mostly in chain stores. The returns are collected and sent back to retailers all at once, saving up to 40% of postage costs.

Some are experimenting with virtual reality (VR). Over half of the items are returned because they are the wrong size. In June Walmart said it would buy Memomi, an augmented-reality (AR) startup that lets shoppers virtually try on glasses in real-time for a seamless, easy and fun omnichannel experience. Walmart also offers ways to try on clothes and arrange furniture in rooms using AR.

7 . Our Favourite Tech Gifts of 2019

When it comes time for the holiday shopping season, we’re extra choosy about the countless technology products that we will buy and give to friends and family. Here’s what impressed editors, reporters and producers the most in 2019.

Lumos Matrix helmet

I recently bought a Lumos Matrix helmet(头盔)(﹩229)with built-in lights to make riding my bike at night a lot safer and less stressful. It’s a regular pain point for bikers like me to make sure careless drivers see you, especially when it’s dark. This does help.

-Matt Mcfarland, Writer

Goodreads app

Although this isn’t a gift, the free Goodreads app is a game changer. At the beginning of 2019, I promised myself   I’d read at least one new book every month. I set a goal of 12 books on Goodreads and use it to track my progress, keep a list of books I’m interested in and check out what friends and others on the app were recommending. I read 35 books this year! (That’s up from five books last year.) Goodreads feels like one of the rare feel-good social networks.

-Kaya Yurieff, Tech Reporter

Ember coffee cup

I drink my coffee slowly, so it has routinely cooled by the time I get halfway through it. For my birthday, my mum bought me a cup (﹩99), which keeps my coffee warm until I finish it without reheating. I can also set the temperature I want. It makes my mornings so much easier.

-Millie Dent, Intern

10 . Are you searching for the latest device as a gift? Here, we offer a guide that will help you take a closer look at four of tech’s hottest categories.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR), the most exciting tech development of recent times, has arrived. The Sony VR doesn’t require expensive phone and there are some devices you can purchase to enhance the experience. But if you’ve already got a PS4, you can enter the world of VR for just $400 (2780 yuan).

Wireless headphones

Combining ease of use with the ability to move around without limit, wireless headphones just make sense. The Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are worth a test drive. The headphones feature active noise cancellation. They can be easily purchased for less than $400 online.

Digital cameras

While your phone has more functions, there’s no substitute（替代品）for a real camera. As small as your smartphone, the smooth design of the Fujifilm X70, $699 (4850 yuan), makes it the perfect companion. In China, Xiaomi’s mirrorless Yi M1 offers a more affordable option, available for just 2199 yuan.

Smartwatches

Watches, thanks to the mobile phone, were becoming unnecessary. Now the pursuit for fitness has helped the watch industry push forward. FitBit has been a leader in the sporty wearable field, and its new swim-proof Fitbit Flex 2 ($130) represents the best in the way of today’s fitness bands.