MediaTheory: Diffusion and Consequences of Adoption (W9-P5) F18

If I say popcorn and cell phones, what pops into your mind?  Excuse the pun.  Pop.

Seen the videos on the Internet that show people using cell phones to pop popcorn?

Are there health concerns you have when using cell phones?
That is, is there a serious consequence of us adopting cell phones?

Watch the video and do a little thinking.  






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Think of desirable and undesirable consequences as the good and bad consequences of adopting an innovation.  Desirable = good, positive.  Undesirable = bad, negative.

What would be some desirable or good consequences of university students adopting cell/smartphones?
What would be some undesirable consequences?


As for direct and indirect, think of consequences as chain of consequences.

Adopt an innovation ---> direct consequence  ---> indirect consequence  -----> indirect consequence.

For example, if you adopt a new 3-D HDTV, then you can then you invite all your friends over and be "the talk of the town."  Now, that you are popular among your friends, you fell the pressure to keep inviting your new "friends" over (indirect consequence).  Now you lose time and money time and money entertaining your new friends (indirect consequence).  Which leads to you not having the time to spend on other important things in your life (indirect consequence).  The loss of time is not a direct consequence, but an indirect consequence.

Anticipated consequences are those that you think are going to happen if you adopt the innovation.  The unanticipated consequences are those that you don't see coming.  For example, you adopt that newest, expensive, tech toy and it is great.  You can do all sorts of things with it.  However, you didn't think about the struggle of paying off the bill for the new toy.

Another, especially important consequence of technological adoption.

Quickly browse some the Current News on the Digital Divide

2018 example: Eliminating the digital divide -PBS (see at least first 4 minutes).




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