Blog Post #6

Diffusion Theory of Innovation: Instant Messaging

    Instant Messaging through the lens of the Diffusion Theory of Innovation is extremely interesting, has instant messaging had a slow start to getting created, but once it was up and running the whole world get in on the action. 

    I think Instant Messaging caught on so quick, simply because it was a new and exciting way to communicate with people that didn't involve calls. I know email was obviously around prior, and helped to progress the creation of Instant Messaging but it wasn't a preferred way for people to communicate about casual business. Now, users had a way of communicating that was for one instant, two relatively easy to do, and had means of sticking around. 

    Some people might've been late adopters because of lack of knowledge, mistrust in the technology (privacy wise), age, and access. Nowadays, I don't really think there's anyone living in the modern world that doesn't use instant messaging. Not only through the basic applications, but also through all the app variations. It's such a wide spread, everyday used method of communication that unless you have no cell-service or don't believe in technology as a whole, you are most likely using IM to talk to your friends, family, co-workers, etc on a daily basis. 

    I would say the downsides to IM are that people are having less face-to-face interactions to talk about the little things, users are becoming too comfortable behind screens, and overall communication has become less personal. On some applications, such as Snapchat, I know there are definitely some downsides as people are under a false sense of comfort that their messages delete after 24 hours. This might seem true as they disappear from your device, but all messages are always backed up onto company servers, nothing on the internet ever truly disappears.  

    A lot of people, especially parents urge their children to not partake in IM applications unless they are the normal iMessage app. I remember when I was in elementary school I would talk to my best friend via emails, then as I got older I was able to text my friends, eighth grade I got instagram (my first ever form of social media), somewhere in high school I got a tiktok, senior year I got on facebook, then only my freshmen year of college did I get on Snapchat; and honestly, I think it saved me from a whirlwind of internet trauma. 

    I think using IM intentionally and learning the dangers of the internet prior to getting on these platforms is what changes the experience for people using them. My parents were both heavily involved in cybersecurity so my entire life I've been very educated ad aware of whats going on online. But that doesn't mean I didn't partake in those outlets, quite the opposite because I was exposed to technology at such a young age and understood the difference between what's really private and what's fake private I can enjoy my time on the internet and sleep soundly at night that there won't be anything online to come to the surface in 20 years.