Diffusion Theory and Youtube

 Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Diffusion Theory and Youtube

    Rogers Diffusion of Innovation or Diffusion Theory states that over time a new invention or idea gains popularity or momentum and slowly diffuses itself into society. We have seen many companies and inventions go through this process such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but no company in the past 20 years has had quite the impact then Youtube did back in 2005. The reason I say this is because the video sharing platform mogul holds the largest part of that market and there hasn't been a company trying to rival it. Youtube holds this space with an iron fist and it is incredibly interesting to see how this came to be. It all starts way back in 2005-2006 when Youtube made its first public appearance on the internet.

    The reason Youtube caught on and spread as rapidly as it did is because people were finally able to post videos onto a website and hold a subscriber count of people who enjoyed their content. The early adopters of Youtube, or generation one Youtubers, are seen by the community as the founding fathers of what was possible on the platform. Content creators like Smosh, Pewdiepie, The Yogscast, Fred, and Nigahiga led the way for what the possibilities were for content. Gaming and Skit based videos took off on the platform along with news channels (content creator channels not Fox or CNN) and ended up bringing huge numbers to the platform. The idea that you could post what you are passionate about and find people all around the world who are also passionate about that niche was extremely exciting for those who became early adopters. In terms of people who are just now starting to get into Youtube, wether as a career or a watcher, can see the incredible communities built around creators channels. Since you are now able to monetize your videos millions of people are trying to make a living off of their content.

    For me personally I don't see many shortcomings to Youtube, but there has been a lot of popular and powerful Youtubers who have fallen from grace. Youtube as a platform allows you to become an influencer and mold the minds of people who watch you. Sadly not everyone who is on the platform in a good person, Youtubers like Miniladd, James Charles, and Shane Dawson saw their stardom stop abruptly after news broke about some things that were damning that they were doing in their spare time. Having that power allows someone to live a life behind a screen. 

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