Julia Bobe: Last Name Pronouced Like Boba Fett or Boba Tea

On January 19th, TikTok experienced a 14-hour ban in the United States, citing security concerns. Recently-elected President Trump signed an executive order to bring the app back for 90 days, giving TikTok enough time to potentially be sold to an American company. Despite TikTok being as beloved as it was, the response to the news wasn't greeted as positively as expected. TikTok is a well-known social media app that allows users to create short videos. It's been a significant source of marketing for small businesses and the music industry. When TikTok was first threatened with being banned in the United States due to its company, ByteDance, having connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). TikTok advocated itself as a place for free speech and promised to try to stay in business for as long as possible.  When the CEO of ByteDance responded to the Supreme Court's 9-0 decision to ban TikTok in the United States, the comment sections had many reactions from their demogr...

 As the daughter of a German immigrant, I find it essential to understand the German language to communicate with at least half of my family and connect with a part of my cultural identity. Taking a class is one way, but I have also taken another approach; having a language-learning app on the go. That is why I have used Duolingo for almost a decade, and I'm not the only one. So, what makes Duolingo such a popular app for those who want to become bilingual? According to its website, Duolingo's value proposition is "Learn a language free. Forever." The app allows its users to take a 5—to 15-minute lesson a day in a language of their choosing. Duolingo users note that it constantly sends notifications to remind them to take their daily lessons, often in a rather persistent tone. Arguably, this rather aggressive tone signals the marketing ploy that Duolingo follows, having a personal and relatable connection to the audience. The Inc. article, "4 Lessons From Duoling...