Post 5: Diffusion Theory

How and Why Innovations Spread- Or Don't

 The Diffusion of Innovations is a theory by Everett Rogers that seeks to explain how and why new innovations and ideas spread and become adopted. To explain the theory, I will use what is perhaps the most recent application of it: the creation and spread of social media. The reasons for adopting the use of social media platforms and the time of adoption are numerous and rely extensively on causes that are multifactorial; human psychology, socio-economic status, age and access to smartphones/other connective technology all could have played a role in determining whether someone was a early, late or non-adopter of social media. Think about people around you who were the first to get the first iPhone and think about who decided to get it last.

Those in better financial shape are more likely to have the technology that is used to access these platforms, such as smartphones and wifi. Younger people are generally more inclined to learn and try new things/ideas, while older people are generally more skeptical of new innovation and technology. While all of these factors play a role in predicting adoption of new innovations and ideas, perceived negative consequences serve a massive role in predicting non-adoption of a new innovation.

  (The Wire.com)

Many of those who refuse to use modern social media platforms perceive their being drawbacks, such as risk of overuse, lack of genuine connection or simple disinterest. The social media platforms in widespread use today employ teams of psychologists and human behaviorists to make their site as appealing as possible. Sometimes this means making sites and apps as addictive as possible. In my last blog post, I explored how Tik Tok users and parents of users are becoming more and more concerned about this risk. If we were to evaluate how easily innovations are adopted through this lens, it would certainly be fair to say that those who are most skeptical may avoid the negative effects of prolonged or unregulated use of Tik Tok. 

Whenever evaluating a new idea, it is important to identify and process reasons for which some would refuse to adopt the new innovation or idea. Weighing the perceived pros and cons of the new idea allows one to understand if, how and why a new idea or innovation may be adopted. Overall, this kind of thinking allows an evaluator of a new idea to understand if and why some would be late or never-adopters. Being more thoughtful when reviewing the pros and cons allows the evaluator to make an informed decision on its adoption.