Blog #9

 Diffusion of Innovation 

By: Trinity Church 

 In class we discussed the Diffusion of Innovation and the steps of fully adapting to a product. Diffusion is the process through which new ideas, products, technologies, or processes are spread through communication among members of a social system via communication channels over time. You can see this happening with products like the Iphone, Ipad, Macbook, etc. Over time these products and the brand Apple have been named the number one technology company in the world. When I was growing up I received an Android and had it for a while however everyone around me had Iphones. There was nothing wrong with my Android but the Iphone was the one to beat and everyone had to have it so I thought I did too. Fast Forward to now and I have had an Iphone for many years now and I don't ever think I would switch back to an Android. I would say that I am part of the early majority because for a bit of time I didn't have an Iphone and waited. The reason being is because I wanted to make sure this product was worth it so I used my mom's Iphone at the time to test everything out. I wanted to use it some and see if I liked it before making the big switch. 

The people who received the new Iphone right when it came out are called Innovators because they wanted to be the first person with the new phone. Majority of people today are called early adopters because they waited like a few months to just feel around and see how others felt before making the purchase. When talking about the late majority, I would give my grandparents as an example because they have the Iphone now yes, but not until a few years ago when I would say "you guys still don't have Iphones yet." They felt pressured by me and since they are older they don't really know how to use up to date phones in general. It took them years to come around and actually buy an Iphone because they were extremely skeptical. Laggards are people who are the last to adopt a new product. These people tend to rely on traditional technology until they are no longer available and typically hate change. An example of this type of person would be Professor Dean Smith. He didn't have a phone until just a few years ago and he doesn't want a fancy Iphone, he simply wants a phone that he can make calls on. From the many years of my having an iphone I haven't come across any negatives about the product itself. 

 I also believe that the same goes for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. If you didn't go on these sites when they first came out or have an account in today's day and age then you will most likely never have an account. Some people make the choice of not having an account because they don't want others in their business or know what's going on in their life. In many ways not having any social media accounts can be beneficial because nowadays people try to compare themselves to what others look like. It has been known for a while now that women especially fall into this depression and even act on their thoughts because they don't look like someone they see on social media. Others look at social media as a way to communicate with people all over the world. These platforms can introduce you to people you have never met or experienced so people who don't have social media can be missing out.