Diffusion of Innovations: From AOL to Facebook

"You've Got Mail"...I can fondly remember those words.  The anticipation most of us felt, as those of us lucky enough to have the internet, the latest and greatest form of technology; as we patiently waited for our computers to turn on and dial-up the internet.  That familiar static sound you heard and the dial tone...then...connected. 

The whole process took several minutes, although compared to today's standards, it was a lifetime.  Dial-up internet was cutting edge back then, and the thought of being able to chat online with your "friends", or send a quick message instead of picking up the telephone to call someone had completely revolutionized not only the business world, but households as well.


Our readings for this first week centered around Everett M. Roger's Diffusion of Innovations. This explains how ideas or "innovations" are communicated to various audiences.  Basically, how do we get people to buy our goods or think that the latest "crisis" is truly a crisis, or to even advertise a reverse mortgage or debt consolidation loan.  The possibilities are endless.  We learned there are four main elements in the "Diffusion of Innovation" (Rogers, 2003).

So let's take our example of the internet.  This can be our innovation.  Before the internet, people used other ways to talk and share information and ideas.  Print media/the newspaper was a popular way to get important information out to a lot of people.  People used the telephone and letters to talk to friends and family.  Businesses used the wonderful fax machine to send an invoice or quote to another business in a matter of "minutes".  With the invention of the internet and email, to social media and YouTube, the internet has become such a focus in our daily lives.  It has essentially been re-invented over and over to improve our lives.  But it hasn't been without consequences.

Communication Channels are the second piece the the formula.  "A communication channel is the means by which messages get from one individual to another" (Rogers, 2003, pg. 18).  According to The Guardian, in February 2004, the invention of Facebook transformed communication as we know it today.  Mark Zuckerberg, a psychology major at Harvard University, launched his social-networking website, "The
Facebook" to the students at Harvard University.  By August 2005, the name was changed to facebook.com and the website's popularity had grown so much that students from high schools and colleges around the country were starting to sign up.  In September of 2006, it changed from anyone with an educational email to anyone with a registered email address.  It had spread worldwide. 


Although time is often not factored into the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Rogers felt it was important to include it in one's research.  The internet as a whole has evolved fairly quickly.  Then you take into consideration the fact that it has been re-invented or there have been additions to it, only improving on what we already have, the concept of the internet and social media is insane!

Lastly, Rogers talks about the importance of the social system to the "Diffusion of Innovations".  This group is who we are trying to communicate to; whether it's a person or a group.  This group typically has the same end goals.  Facebook started out with a goal of trying to connect the students of Harvard to each other and ended up creating the largest, world-wide social-networking app ever.  Although, it's not to say it didn't have its challenges and bumps in the road.  There have been others that have been collateral damage along the way, (myspace.com, lawsuit with creators of HarvardConnection or ConnectU) but most people don't look that far ahead or care about the consequences at the time (Business Insider).

I wonder if when Everett Rogers started writing the first edition of the "Diffusion of Innovations" back in 1962, if he ever imagined what we would be doing now?  Did he imagine we would be talking to each other through our smartphones?  Did he imagine we would be able to predict weather and warn the masses via social media because our satellite signal is out?  I can only imagine what he predicted then because it's probably close to what we predict for ourselves for the future now.  Pretty crazy. 


Check back with me next week, at www.beccisblurb.blogspot.com to see what wisdom I impart on you next.