Comparative Analysis

Comparative Analysis

The Diffusion of Innovation

The theory of diffusion of innovation came to be in 1962. The idea originated from E. M. Rogers. It is centred on communication and explores the process through which people adopt a novella product, idea, or service (Surry et al., 1997). Adoption is evident when there is a notable change in behaviour. Rogers developed five categories to explain the innovation process.

First, there is the innovators group. People who belong to this division are risk-takers who are very willing to try new ideas. Little persuasion is needed to be done so as to get them on board. The next group is known as the early adopters. Early adopters are majorly opinion leaders who embrace change. To appeal to them, one needs how-to manuals as well as information sheets. The third category, as explained by Rogers, is the early majority. Although, people in early majority lack leadership qualities, they embrace change before the typical individual. To get them on the idea, they need evidence that the innovation is effective.

Then there is the late majority division. This group is known for being sceptical of change. They only get interested in something after it has been tried by others. The fifth group is the Laggard. The most distinctive characteristic of this group is tradition. They are typically conservative, and only the use of fear, pressure, and statistics can make them adopt an idea.

Economic, Political, and Cultural Implications of New Communication Technologies

New communication technologies range from phones, televisions to the internet. In politics, these technologies are used by politicians as a campaign platform (McNair, 2017). The politicians form communities where their supporters are constantly updated. They have also made it possible for an average citizen to engage in political processes, which was in the past, limited to voting and sit-ins. Political rivals can also use the internet to destroy the credibility of opponents by leaking controversial information.

New technological devices have an impact on the culture. The most common effect is globalization. They have brought everyone together, leading to an integration of cultures. There is also the erosion of traditional morals as people emulate whatever they see on TVs and phones. When it comes to economy, the novel communication devices have resulted in an increase in productivity. They have fastened the speed of research resulting in the creation and development of new ideas (Battu, 2016).

Time and Space Bias

This theory looks at communication in terms of time and space. Time-based media lasts for many generations. Examples include oral poems, stone, and clay tablets. It forwards stories and messages to the future, although its audience tends to be narrow (Mullen, 2007). Time-based media represents tradition because it is oral as well as tribal. Space-based media, on the other hand, has a short exposure time. Examples of space-based media include radio, television, and newspaper. Its main advantage is that it tends to get to bigger audiences.

Ong’s model of Orality

Orality is the knack for or inclination to use spoken forms of language. Ong’s model suggests that orality and literacy are always in balance (McDowell, 2012). Whenever one of them is increased, the other one reduces in equal proportions. He went further to state that orality came before literacy.

Primary orality refers to expressions that have not been influenced in whatever manner by writing. The power of orality is that, unlike print, it can’t be ignored.  There is also secondary orality, which denotes expressions that have been touched and impacted by the written word. Another definition in Ong’s model is residual orality. This term means the leftovers of a very influential oral culture. This predominant culture was then changed into the written form.

Reflection

On deeper reflection on these theories, one notices that time is a crucial factor in communication. Time is essential as it allows either for the message to be passed on or be totally destroyed and forgotten. The element of time influences how the message is passed on. It is easier for people to remember stories and songs about their tradition rather than linear information on the internet.

Communication technologies are powerful because they touch on all areas of life. They can be harmful or beneficial, depending on personal use. Many people have become wealthy out of these technologies through the creation of services to cater to millions of people. On the other hand, other people are slaves to them. They are addicted and consequently have low productivity. The mystery of the significant changes in society’s cultural, economic, and political values can be explained by these technologies.

Before I embarked on this theory, I did not understand the importance of orality of communication history. I thought that orality was simply used because people lacked technology. However, I am now aware that orality is a living culture that precedes literacy.

These theories on communication technologies have affected my understanding of the world. The current world is rapidly changing and seriously focused on materialism. This can be explained because of the rise in space-based media. This media has a short exposure time which makes people desire fast changes in their day to day lives as well. Due to the knowledge gained from the theory of innovation diffusion, I’m now aware of how ideas catch on and how marketers influence consumers to buy their goods, use their service, or adopt their ideas.