Post #8

 Post #8

Diffusion of Innovation 

    When I first read Everett Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory, something clicked. It gave shape to the way that we talk about new tech not just as inventions, but as cultural shifts. Rogers breaks down the process of how innovations are diffused into stages: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Once you see this chart, you start seeing it everywhere. And nowhere is this more visible than in TikTok's rise.

    Back when TikTok began, it was easy to dismiss it as a lip-syncing application for teenagers. Yet, those teenagers were the early adopters. They saw something fresh, fun, and creative in the app's short video format. The early adopters quickly followed creators who used the app to showcase comedy, dance, fashion, and even informative content. Those users turned TikTok into something larger than its inception.

    As it gained popularity, TikTok reached the early majority. It was not just Gen Z anymore millennials, companies, and even news outlets were creating content. The algorithm's ability to immediately tailor content to a user's interests made it addictively accessible. But still, the late adopters typically older demographics or more privacy-conscious individuals waited back. And then, naturally, there are always the non-adopters: those who expressly opt not to use them due to concerns about data privacy, screen time, or a desire to stay off social media in general.

 

 

    Rogers' theory accounts for not just who adopts and when, but also why. TikTok offered low barrier to entry, high entertainment value, and strong social incentive especially during the pandemic, when humans were starving for connection. These made the "cost" of adoption low and the benefit high.

    What about the cons? As with all innovations, TikTok is not immune to criticism. Issues related to mental health, surveillance, misinformation, and addictive design have become increasingly pressing as the app has aged. These are the dark underbelly of speedy uptake something Rogers' theory invites us to think about in our examination of any innovation.

    Personally, I'm still on the fence about TikTok. I see its creative potential, but I also weigh the time suck and privacy concerns. Rogers reminds us that adoption is never only about the tech it's about values, needs, risks, and rewards. Whether we're talking about apps or activism, that's a useful frame to consider.