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TikTok Shop drives $100 million in Black Friday sales after a year in the U.S.

Dec 3, 2024
It’s a small but growing piece of the billions spent online on Black Friday, a report says, as brands try to reach consumers on social media.
Social media shopping is expected to grow as consumers get more comfortable with it.
Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Can you really "manifest" your own destiny?

Sep 10, 2024
An increasing number of influencers are earning a living from the idea that you can "manifest" your dreams into reality.
Dua Lipa headlines The Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival on June 28 — an event she says she manifested.
Harry Durrant/Getty Images

When the viral moment fades, will the sparkle stay?

Aug 6, 2024
"Virality is fleeting," says Kelsey Campion. "We could go viral tomorrow. We could go viral in a year, we could never go viral again."
"Similar to going viral, this slowdown is also a moment in time that in two years, we’ll look back on and see things very differently,” says Kelsey Campion, owner of Fringe + Co in New Orleans.
Courtesy Kelsey Campion

With less than six months to go, no clear plans for a TikTok sale

Aug 5, 2024
In April, President Biden signed into law a bipartisan bill compelling ByteDance to sell TikTok to a government-approved buyer in 270 days, or face a ban in the U.S. Meanwhile, TikTok is hoping for a win in court.
The feud between the U.S. government and ByteDance spans months, and may soon be coming to a head.
Getty Images

Kids want $70 wrinkle creams. Parents and lawmakers are "fighting a losing battle"

Jul 9, 2024
Elementary and middle school kids are flocking to stores to buy products recommended on TikTok. But they may be harming their skin.
Drunk Elephant is one of the most popular skin care brands among children.
Caleigh Wells/Marketplace

TikTok color analysis trend presents a vibrant business opportunity

Guessing at someone’s color season has become a popular internet parlor game. It’s also a growing business for people looking to boost their professional image and the entrepreneurs ready to help them do that.
From left to right, Debbie O'Keefe, color consultant Ashley Dworak and Lauren Kreuzberg at the House of Colour studio in Papillion, Nebraska, in late May.
Dylan Miettinen/Marketplace

A look at India's TikTok ban four years on

Jun 28, 2024
U.S. lawmakers passed a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban. But it wouldn't be the first country block the Chinese-owned platform.
When the Indian government banned TikTok in 2020, many content creators there migrated to American platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
Indranil Mukherejee/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Kyla Scanlon wants to remind us that "people are the economy"

May 30, 2024
Scanlon explains her philosophy of economic education in this excerpt from her book, "In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work."
Jordan Mangi/Marketplace

Why the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. has been getting busier

May 7, 2024
CFIUS has a say in foreign transactions when national security is a concern, including venture capital and real estate deals.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, speaks at a conference in September.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Worry about foreign ownership of telecom companies has a long history in the U.S.

Apr 24, 2024
It's part of an overall mistrust of foreign influence with deep roots in American history.
The founders were concerned countries would try to meddle in the U.S., so they passed measures like the Emoluments Clause which prohibits office holders from taking gifts from foreign officials.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images