Blog Post #8: The Diffusion of Innovations Theory

The Diffusion of Innovations Theory 

The Diffusion Theory, also known as the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, explains how new technologies, ideas, or practices are spread through a society or social system over time. This theory was developed by Everett Rogers in 1962 as contains four key components including: The Innovation, the new idea, product, or practice being introduced; Communication Channels, how people learn about the new innovation (ex. Traditional media, word of mouth, etc.); Time, the time it takes for the new innovation to spread; and the Social System, the group or community where the diffusion is taking place. For example, the diffusion theory applied to the rise of social media, specifically Facebook, is a great example.

Facebook was invented by a group of Harvard students, most famously Mark Zuckerberg, who wanted to try a newer and more exclusive social media platform. This platform spread rapidly through news media outlets, word of mouth, celebrities and early influencers, schools, workplaces, and families, and ended up spreading over a decade. But, the speed of the spread is different for different demographics - mostly age, but also factors such as income, education, sex, etc. 

Because Facebook was such a new and exciting platform, the majority of its users started spreading rapidly to those over 13 years old because it was trendy. Late adopters would have ended up joining to stay connected with their family, friends, or coworkers. Those who did not join, or joined super late, were due to the skepticism of newer technology, those who just did not enjoy social media overall, and/or maybe even for privacy reasons as well. Those who were not in favour of this new social media platform had concerns about the negative consequences of emerging technology, such as privacy concerns or the negative effects on individuals in the long run, such as mental or physical health concerns. 

With the rise of technology, there are many positives, while also many negatives. It could benefit users, but it could also harm users. But, there is no way that the good could outweigh the bad, or the bad outweigh the good. Social media users should be cautious of the positives and negatives, and not be biased and rely on just one. It is important to understand both the positives and negatives so that social media platforms can be used effectively. It should not be completely terminated, but rather self-monitored to only be used to benefit an individual in healthy ways.