Stephen Johnson

Stephen Johnson Senior Staff Writer

Experience

Stephen Johnson is a senior staff writer at Lifehacker covering pop culture and technology, including the columns “The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide to Kid Culture” and “What People Are Getting Wrong This Week.”

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November 12, 2026

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Table of Contents

Since the 1950s, Black Friday—once simply known as "the day after Thanksgiving"—has grown into a quasi-holiday in the United States marked by steep discounts, ceaseless shopping, and occasional violence . But more recently, Black Friday has also metastasized. It's not a day anymore. It's a week, a month, a veritable state of mind. (Speaking of which, check out Lifehacker's Black Friday coverage .…