Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Theory Explication:
The Diffusion of Innovation Theory describes how people within society adopt new forms of innovations over time. Obviously technology is not created and adopted by everyone overnight, so this theory describes the gradual adopting of these innovations into society.
It begins with the pioneers/innovators. These are generally the people who created the form of technology, or colleagues that work along side the inventors. At this point in time they are both using their innovation for their personal benefits and to improve any possible bugs that can be found within the technology.
Then the innovation will move into the early adopters/early majority section of the diffusion process. At this stage generally the younger generation who is eager to learn about new technology will be the ones to adopt it first. This is where the innovation will really get its feet off the ground and start to earn some popularity.
At the climax of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory is the tipping point. This is where there is a moment in time, normally where something significant occurs that pours the technology over the hump into the remainder of society. An example of this may be the iPhone being launched and grabbing the attention of the rest of society in regards to cellphones.
This then leads into the late majority/late adopters portion of the diffusion process. This is where you will typically find older generations who are late to the punch on new technology. It after the tipping point occurs where they almost feel out of the loop without the given innovation.
Lastly, you have the laggards. These are the people who may have low incomes so they can not afford the technology, live in remote areas so it does not reach them, or simply are not interested in adapting with the new era.
Theory Application:
This theory can be applied to almost any new innovation, but for the sake of this blog I will discuss the diffusion of Instagram into society. Instagram was the fastest growing social media network as of 2015. The app allowed for people to share pictures and videos to people of their choosing without needing to send them individually. It was one of the first times that any easy to use platform like this was created, and people quickly began to love it.
The pioneer/innovators section in the case of Instagram likely took place before the public launch of the application. This is because it was the fastest iPhone app to reach 1 million downloads. Therefore, the pioneer section of diffusion would likely not be happening within that time frame.
The early adopters section of Instagram would have likely come withing the first 2 years of the apps release. This is the moment where users starter really picking up interest in the app and using it for more than just sharing photos with friends. People started to see it as more of a marketing tool, and with that it lead into the late adopters stage.
The late adopters are the people in this case that did not see the importance of the app from the start, but realized its significance in today's modern world. Now there are people who use Instagram as a way to promote either themselves or their company. Since so many users are now on this site it makes for a great way to create free advertising for yourself.
Lastly, the laggards would be people who are left without internet connection on their phones, or people who simply do not like the way social media is taking over. There are still many people in this category, but most have adjusted with the times.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
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