Today's Tipping Point

The tipping point is the magical moment when an idea crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Even the smallest push, when targeted precisely, can have wide social impact. For example, tipping points can set off a huge fashion trend, which has the hippest fashionistas wearing Hush Puppies, or spur a rise in a particular behavior, and all of a sudden teen smoking rates skyrocket. In this scheme, ideas and messages spread just like a virus, not in steady increments but like an epidemic. What kinds of "tips" are we in the middle of, today? And how does the new global interconnectedness affect tipping?

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