Diffusion of Innovations- Blog Post #8

    The Diffusion of Innovations theory aims to show "how, why, and the rate at which a product, service, or process spreads through a population." This theory was invented by Everett Rogers in 1962. This theory involves six groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, tipping point, late majority, and laggards. By understanding this theory, we can gain insight into inventions, including the first newspaper. 

    

    For example, the modern newspaper is a European invention.  While its initial pioneers or innovators included various people throughout the 17th century, Johann Carolus was the first. He created the first newspaper in Strasbourg, France, in 1605. Carolus took considerable risks as the creator of the first newspaper, but his bravery sparked a movement that would lay the foundation for the diffusion of innovation.

    In the aftermath of Caroulus, several early adopters, such as city residents who were interested in politics, started their own newspapers. The people who authored and published newspapers were essential to the establishment of newspapers in our society.

    

With the rising popularity of newspapers, the early majority started to interact with them, making newspapers a staple in daily reading habits. They played a role in establishing newspapers as dependable information sources and supported ongoing expansion.

    The invention of television in the 1950s marked the tipping point for newspapers. People perceived television as an intriguing new medium for news, redirecting their focus from newspapers to the new medium. Later in the 1990s, the emergence of the internet provided a variety of media outlets, which also had a role in the decrease of people reading newspapers because of faster and more convenient media platforms that were now offered to them.

    Even with this tipping point, newspapers remained significant for the late majority, who continued to read the printed or later version of the online newspaper. These people appreciate reading the newspaper as part of their daily routine, and some still have newspapers delivered to their homes today because it is a habit and something that they have always been used to.

    

    After that, some laggards may not be concerned about keeping up with the latest technology. Despite this, they ultimately find themselves using the technology because it has become so accessible in society. Although newspapers are not utilized as frequently today compared to the past, nearly everyone has read a newspaper at some stage of their life or will do so naturally, as it is a widely common source of news and information.

    In conclusion, the newspaper was a groundbreaking invention that changed how we communicated and accessed information. They are still being read regularly, although there are different forms of newspapers such as online in addition to the newspaper's printed versions. We are lucky to live in an era where the advent of newspapers continues to influence our access to information, as there was minimal information distribution before their invention. While certain innovations marked the turning point for newspapers, they ultimately laid the groundwork for the current information sources we are fortunate to use today such as the internet and social media.