Blog #6

 Diffusion Of Innovation

Blog #6

As someone who has only known a life with technology, I have been able to see many apps flourish and many apps have a rapid downfall. After reading about the diffusion of innovation theory, I now understand why this happens. It depends on the innovation itself, time, communication channels, as well as a social system. 

If we were to compare a successful app such as TikTok, to an unsuccessful one, take YikYak, we can see how the differences vary. TikTok became big in 2020 when the Corona Virus put the United States in lockdown. This means that more people were using their phones and mindlessly scrolling in order to attempt to cure the boredom. YikYak on the other hand was created in 2013 and did not last long before shutting down due to failure to maintain user engagement. In 2013, most social media user were still buzzing about Instagram and Snapchat, not an app used to anonymously comment on people in the same vicinity as you. 

Many people became early adapters of apps like TikTok and Instagram because of the social scene at the time. Rather than missing out on what others are experiencing, people will download the apps, let them sit on their phones without posting, and just use it every once in a while. When they realize these apps are changing and growing, people will resort to using them more in depth. Many of my own friend were against TikTok when it first became big because they figured it was just something to watch people dance and lip-sync, however as more users appear, the app grows with the audience and adapts. Nowadays, everyones "for you" page is personalized, whether it be dancing, cooking, cars, fashion, you name it!

One thing that doe hold app back from growing is age. Not many older people use social media as often as kids ages 10-25. Not because they are hard to use, but because many people of older generations are stuck in their ways; they grew up with telephones with curly wire and televisions that do not have remotes. In addition, there are articles written about the safety and hazards of social media, these are more likely to be read by older people rather than the youthful users. 

The question that remains is do the positives outweigh the negatives? Well, as a said before, many apps like YikYak will crumble for various reasons, but other apps like TikTok will almost. help boost society as a whole. It is important to be aware of online dangerous such as bullying, harassment, sex trafficking, identity theft, and more. However, if apps are used correctly and with discretion, problems will stay minimal. Social media is meant to be a good thing, a way to connect people around the world and build networks, it's not meant to be harmful.