Blog Post #9- Looking at Cassette Tapes Through a Lens of Diffusion

 The lens of diffusion theory is a theory that attempts to explain the rate at which new ideas and technologies spread. It is a very detailed theory that can be applied to a lot of new technologies or ideas such as the development of Facebook or even abolitionism. Since we previously discussed the history of cassette tapes, I thought it would be a good idea to delve a bit further into that impactful technology and examine how it spread through this lens of diffusion. 

There are a few different names for each part of the curve that we can use to determine at what stage of life the technology was at and why the people using it were using it. Cassette tapes had a very important 'experimental' stage. This is the beginning of the curve, when the technology just begins to come out and is still being developed or improved majorly. At this point, the only people interacting with these new cassette tapes were the ones inventing it (pioneers) or the ones highly interested in obtaining the technology. This would be people at recording companies or the people that were behind making the cassette tape. These people caught on because of how innovative the technology was; it was going to change the entire way we work with audio recordings. 

Next came the early adapters and early majority. These were the people that caught interest in the technology fairly early on. The early adapters discovered how convenient it was to use these cassette tapes and the possibilities that came with them, such as recording music and having portable access to it. This influenced the early majority, which was the start of the boom of the cassette tape. There were really no downsides to using this new technology. Its possibilities for new audio technology were near in sight, especially when the Sony Walkman released. When considering the late majority and laggards, those people were simply those that did not have an immediate need for the technology or were doubtful.