Diffusion of Innovations

Seeking out the how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology is the purpose of The Diffusion of Innovations Theory. This theory became popularized by Everett Roger’s book, Diffusion of Innovations, published in 1962. Rogers argues that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated among social system participants over time. He additionally proposes that the innovation itself, adopters, communication channels, time, and a social system are the five central elements that influence the spread of a new idea. It must be widely adopted for innovation to self-sustain before it reaches critical mass. Critical mass (also known as “the chasm” lies between the early adopters and early majority boundary, as theorized by Geoffrey Moore. 

Today’s relatively new innovation, TikTok, has demonstrated increasing popularity since its release in September 2016. Diffusion can help explain its success and rapid growth compared to other social media like Instagram, mainly through switching technology. When people within a network see most of their friends take on an early adapter role by trying out or switching to a newer type of technology, they’re likely to follow suit. Only a few users switch to the new technology at first, but it grows more and more over time. The change of technology then appears over time over more extensive networks before being taken on by other networks. Others might be late adopters due to skepticism about TikTok being a newer app or because they haven’t had others switch technologies in their network. However, some people might not choose to download TikTok or be an active viewer because they think it’s an unnecessary way to spend time, making them not an adopter.

Even though TikTok is a fun and engaging source of entertainment, I do see negative consequences in its technology. The main potential yet common downside of TikTok is the possibility of addiction. The app produces an endless content feed, making it easy for viewers to spend elongated periods of time on it without noticing how much time they’re really spending on it. Another negative consequence goes for all types of social media: comparison. Comparing myself to other people online is something I struggle with, and I know there are many others out there who deal with the same battle. 

Those who chose not to download TikTok or other social media platforms are definitely a lot safer from the negative consequences of digital consumption. I feel like not having social media would positively outweigh the negatives of having it. It’s easy to acknowledge the negative consequences of being an active social media user, but it’s challenging to do something about them. Once you’re used to being on social media, it’s hard to go back to not being on it since it becomes a habit for you. Weighing the cost-benefit analysis with a new communication technology seems it would be difficult to do unless you actually experience the cost aspect. If I could go back in time I would stop myself from downloading TikTok in the first place, because I now know just how “engaging” it is and how it’s affected my mental health since first going on it. Hearing all of the benefits of a new technology masks the costs of having it, making it difficult to weigh an accurate cost-benefit analysis.