Rogers Diffusion of Innovation: The Telephone

The invention of the telephone was an innovation that changed many things for the world. One interesting thing about this invention was how quickly it became popularized. Using Rogers Diffusion of Innovation, we are able to see the steps the telephone took to become a staple in the United States, to where the telephone is now.

The early pioneers of the telephone were Antonio Meucci and Graham Bell. Meucci was the first technical inventor of the telephone, but Bell is highly accredited for it. Elisha Gray was another inventor involved, he was seen as Bell’s competitor but never reached as high of achievements as Bell did. The telephone was created to improve the workings of the telegraph. These pioneers all worked to achieve this goal.

The early adapters saw something in this invention and believed it could go somewhere. The telephone was quite expensive at first. In the beginning, it was used by wealthy individuals and large corporations. It was used to communicate through direct lines between specific locations. The first ever telephone line was created in 1878.  At this point, it wasn't possible to make long-distance calls or international calls. Additionally, it was an expensive invention so it wasn’t extremely popular yet. 

The early majority came about after the transcontinental telephone line. The transcontinental telephone line was created in 1915 which accelerated the popularity of the telephone. Within a short amount of years of this invention, people were using the telephone all over the United States. However, it still remained an expensive invention, just now more accessible. 

The late majority came from World War I times. During World War I the government nationalized telephone and telegraph lines in the US. Then, Congress and President Wilson issued an order putting them under the direction of the US post office. By this point, the telephone had become even more popular. This happened around 1919. The 1920s were accredited for the time the telephone became extremely popular. 

The laggards were people who were unable to afford the telephone or didn’t see a need for it. Throughout the whole 20th century there continued to be growth in the popularity of the telephone as more people caught onto the idea. At this point, the telephone was a staple in the United States and it was just slowly grabbing the attention of the minority of people who didn’t own one. 

There is a long-tail of people who haven’t, and never will own a telephone. The invention of the cell phone took over the telephone. Once the cell phone became more affordable people began switching over. In 2022 the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention recorded that only 29% of homes still have a landline. Compared to 90% in 2004. For people who have grown up in the world of cell phones, it is likely that they never have, and never will own a telephone. 

There were not many downsides to the telephone other than the fact it was pricey. The telephone revolutionized communication which led to people wanting to join in on purchasing the invention. The positive effects of the telephone outweighed the negative which made the telephone as popular as it was. The reason for the downfall of the telephone stemmed from new and more efficient technologies, but the telephone will continue to be recognized as one of the greatest communications advancements ever made. 

EOTO #1 Reactions

The communication technology EOTO's presented many different types of technology over the years that have greatly affected our world as we know it today. There are so many different types of communication and I have chosen to reflect on some that have caught my interest the most.

The Radio, invented in 1899 was a big communication change. The radio allowed for news to travel faster, introduced a new way to listen to music and popularized political information.  One important thing the radio helped with was World War II updates. The radio allowed for citizens to stay up to date on what was happening with the war. Also, the first presidential debate by radio occurred in 1948. This allowed for people to listen in as we do today on our TV's. 

The personal computer was another important change. While the general computer had existed already, the personal computer opened up a whole new set of doors in technology. The personal computer was originally a learning tool so people could learn how to use computers. It also opened a gateway for laptops which are now a daily part of our lives. 

Carrier pigeons were a unique communication 'technology' to learn about. The carrier pigeons were invented in the 5th century BCE. This was a generational way of communication used for war, commerce, and navigation. Before them, information would have to be passed through word of mouth, or walking long distances. The carrier pigeons were the quickest long-distance communication at the time which was extremely valuable in times of war. 

Instagram is a communication technology that is important in my life. I use Instagram on a daily basis and it was interesting to learn about the development and effects of Instagram. After the app was launched it quickly had a lot of users. Originally Instagram was just for sharing photos and videos but has now grown into a huge platform. Instagram popularized 'influencers'. Also, direct messaging through Instagram has allowed people to connect throughout the world. 

The last technology I have chosen to reflect on is the camera. The first camera ever made was all the way back in 400 BCE, the Camera Obscura. Over time, the camera has evolved. There was a lot of advancement made in the 19th century. The camera allows for the preservation of history which is important for learning and reflecting on the past. The camera has also allowed for images to be shared across the world. 

Age of AI

AI has had an increasing effect on society as we know it. AI has impacted work, school, transportation, and even daily life. The Age of AI documentary showed the effects that AI has had both negative and positive. 

The documentary opened with a game, Alpha Go, which was a deep learning intelligence that taught itself to play video games better than humans could. This Chinese game was coming up with new moves that the human mind couldn't fathom. Alpha Go opened people's eyes to the possible success and impact that AI could have on society. 

After Alpha Go, China began a plan to chase the AI future. Their plan includes catching up to the United States by 2025 and ruling the world in 2030. China leads the world and e-commerce. They have technology that has drones delivering packages, and currency revolving around facial recognition technology. There is also a lot of talk about self-driving vehicles in China. Although the United States is currently ahead in this, China thinks they will popularize it. Lastly, almost everything in China is on phones which gives them a lot of data. This will be helpful to them to start up AI. 

The documentary includes "promises" of AI. The first is the replacement of human drivers. Commercial goods were being driven on Interstate 10 and there is a driver in the car but the car is driving itself. The idea of self-driving vehicles could try and solve traffic fatalities. However, we have seen the issues that cars like Tesla's have caused with faulty technology so there is still a lot to learn and perfect before the world relies on self-driving vehicles. Another promise involved cancer treatment. Scientists are trying to figure out why cancer is not able to be caught earlier on. Deep learning teaches computers how to understand data which could possibly be used to predict early cancer. 

The biggest thing that caught my eye in the documentary was the future of work. AI has the ability to disturb the labor force. There are multiple uses of AI that could lead to the displacement of human jobs. It is also likely that white-collar jobs could be gone faster than blue-collar jobs. This is because white-collar jobs are easier to take because they are quantitative and could be replaced by a software whereas blue-collar jobs require hand-eye coordination.

Overall, AI is promising to the improvement of some things in our society while also threatening some parts. The future of AI is unknown and we do not yet know the full effect it will have. 

EOTO #1, Invention of the Telephone

The telephone was a major communications advancement. It revolutionized the way we communicate with each other and created more efficient communication. The telephone changed our ideas of privacy, business communication, literacy, education, and overall society. 

History of the Telephone

The telephone was first invented in 1849 by Antonio Meucci, however, it is highly accredited to Graham Bell who won the US patent for the invention in 1876. In 1878 the first telephone line was created and within 3 years there were 49,000 telephones in use. This was just the beginning of the widespread use of the telephone. In 1915, the transcontinental telephone line began operating, and the telephone became a staple in the US within 50 years. This was just the start of the spread of this massive communication advancement. 

Privacy After the Telephone

The telephone changed a lot of things in the United States. One thing that changed was privacy. At first, public phones were very popular. This allowed for other people to be able to hear private conversations. Another type of phone that was popular was the party line. This was a telephone line that connected multiple houses. This could become an issue for privacy because any one of your neighbors would be able to pick up the phone and hear your call. This created a concept of being a good ‘phone neighbor’. A good phone neighbor would make their calls short, not hog the line, and if the line was already in use, put the phone down and wait a few minutes to try again for your call. The invention of the telephone also popularized telemarketers and spam. This was also considered an invasion of privacy. Although there were negative effects on privacy because of the telephone, it also helped protect privacy in some ways. The telephone permitted people to share information without writing it down. This helped for talking to doctors, or lawyers about private things. The telephone also replaced unexpected visits from relatives or the appearance of door-to-door salesmen, because they would call instead. With all different kinds of advancements to the telephone, there still remain concerns and protections involving privacy. 

Effect on Business Communication

Business communication was another change that resulted from the invention of the telephone. The telephone made it easier and more efficient for businesses to communicate internally and externally. Sending messages became much more efficient. This would help with things like advertisement, or the sharing of general information. The telephone also expanded on the area a business could reach. This helped businesses or a national scale to get their product or service out there. Lastly, the telephone would help to build a stronger network of customers. This came from the ability to reach different areas with their message. 

Changes in Literacy and Education

Another change that the telephone created was changes in literacy and education. Before the telephone, communication was spread from writing. Letters were a popular way to get one's message out. Writing strengthened intrapersonal skills but the telephone worked to move society back towards focusing on oral communication rather than written communication. The telephone created a stronger communal feel to society. Verbal communication stresses the importance of listening, group learning, cooperation, and a sense of social responsibility. Educationally, the way students learned after the telephone was invented changed. Although there was still a reliance on written language in textbooks to learn, the telephone and advances in the telephone led to new access to information.

Effects on Society

There were also overall societal changes that resulted from the invention of the telephone. There was new efficiency in sharing ideas, beliefs, and events. Working with others became easier. This helped with things like new ideas and inventions. Also, the thought process of individuals became more self-reflective. In written language, you could take your time to make sure you were saying the right thing. With the invention of the telephone, people were more careful about what they said, and it became a bigger thing to think before you speak. 

The overall effect of the telephone struck the United States on a national level. The telephone still continues to affect the way we do things and communicate. As technological advancements happen, we are able to change the way communication works. 

Privacy in the Digital Age

    The Ted talks about privacy revealed shocking information about what the government and different people can have access to based on the calls you make, the things you post, the places you drive to, and the messages you send. In today's world, communication relies heavily on technology, but privacy is being invaded through these technologies. 

The issues of the invasion of privacy through technology affect everyone. As a young adult who uses social media, the idea of a digital footprint is very prominent to my life. In the Ted Talk spoken by Juan Enriquez, he uses the metaphor of a digital tattoo. There is so much information that can be found out about a person through the internet even without speaking to that person. What we post everyday can never fully be taken away, and that information can be tracked. The ted talk by Catherine Crump reveals how license plates are tracked constantly. The story about a man who found out the police had information about everywhere he went, even a picture of him and his daughters getting out of his car in their own driveway, was especially shocking. This is an issue that is close to everyone. My friends, family, and I all drive places. Although none of us have legally done anything that would need to be tracked by the government or police, they have information about anywhere we have driven. This is concerning to think about because private information is not private anymore. The Ted talk by Christopher Soghoian talked about wiretapping and how the government has access to phone conversations. Everyone uses messages, calls, and other types of electronic communication to talk to friends, family, doctors, and more. Not only is the government able to access these conversations, but so is any intelligence agency that hacks into the wiretapping. To me, this is concerning because why are my conversations, as a nineteen year old, able to be so easily accessed? 

The government should not have access to this information. The government should enforce laws that make local police stations delete the data of innocent people and their whereabouts. There should also be laws protecting cyber harassment through the sharing of private images. Encryption features in telephone companies should be enforced to protect private conversations between people, and to protect people from other governments being able to access this information.

There are many things that people can do to protect themselves. Some companies have encryption software in place that makes it extremely difficult for the government to access electronic information. People should research which communication companies have these softwares and use them. Another thing people can do is to be extremely aware of their digital footprint. Think before you post something and understand that nothing truly goes away forever on the internet. 

The Eight Values of Free Expression

The eight values of free expression are vital to the United States. They allow people to express their First Amendment right of free speech. Each of these values comes together to make Americans have their freedom, and each value is important in its own right. 

Although each value is important I do find that the one I see as most valuable to be the value of checking on government power. Within the government, there is a system of checks and balances, but the right of the people to check the government is what makes the United States a government of the people and for the people. As highlighted in the explanation of this value, freedom of the press comes to importance with this value. The press helps the general public learn about the abuse of power in the government, and then the people can do something about the abuse of power if they see fit. This helps the general public to be a part of the government, and keep things fair within society. 

The value that I feel most personally connected to is Individual Self-Fulfillment, or self-actualization. The ability that I have as an American to express myself and create my own identity is important to me. As a college-age American, I am learning about myself and what I want my future to be. I place a lot of value in having the freedom to make my own path and identity for myself through free speech. 

I see the value of participation in Self-Government today. With it being election season, debates are important for everyone to be updated on and be able to listen to. Debates are essential for voters to be informed on candidates' policies and therefore vote based on the knowledge they gain. Another value I see today is the Marketplace of Ideas. This is another essential value of freedom. This value I also see relating to the current election season. In politics, there is an unfortunate frequency of lies being spread. This value allows for the truth and the lies to fight themselves because the truth will win. This value also highlights the importance of freedom of the press. Milton who suggested this idea was against having a license to print or publish. This way, the press is able to talk about any issues occurring at the moment, and the truth is able to come out. 

Promoting tolerance, innovation, and dissent are 3 other values that hold a lot of importance in our society today. Tolerance is a concept that can be hard to grapple with. Hate speech is something that is heavily disagreed on, no one can agree on what exactly qualifies as hate speech, However, because hate speech is protected, it allows society to promote tolerance. Society is what punishes people for saying things that hurt other people. In this way, we are able to create a society of tolerance. Innovation is important to the progress of the United States. The ability of citizens to be creative and come up with new ideas and
then share them creates a society that promotes innovation. Lastly, dissent holds a value of importance. Similar to tolerance, people are allowed to say what they want and believe what they want to believe. This allows for criticism of the government. This is important because without criticism of the government, they would be allowed to do whatever they want. 

All of the values of free expression come together to make America the free society it is. These values exist in our everyday life even when we don't realize it. 

History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court video gave insight into how the Supreme Court works, and what goes on inside the court. This video taught me a lot about the Supreme Court that I didn’t know. The justices read around 100 case proposals a week, and only take around 100 a year. Once the case gets accepted and goes to the Supreme Court, lawyers have 30 minutes to make arguments before the court. While they make these arguments, the justices are asking clarifying questions about the case to make sure all justices are on the same page. The justices frequently use the lawyer as a bridge to talk to the other judges to make sure they are all on the same page. The questions are asked to bring out information that was not presented in the briefs. Once both 30-minute arguments are made the justices have a private conference where they try to come to a decision. This discussion is completely private with no clerks or secretaries present. They find a majority decision. Once justice from the majority side is chosen to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. Law clerks help to assist with this decision and it is an extensive process. Separate decisions are often written from the minority side. There are many revisions and different drafts of the opinion. Oftentimes the majority decision becomes the minority after several drafts. The process involves lots of compromises. After the decision is made, it is released to the press and they can have it printed in hours. 

The most important take-away from the video was the extensive process of how the court works, and what goes into forming the people who are in the court. The process of putting justices in the court includes being chosen by the president, then the senate confirming. This is what gives the public some sort of say in the court. The actual process of trying court cases takes months. Then after the trial, the judges have extensive discussions.  

The most surprising thing I learned is the amount of cases they get and have to choose between. Only taking 100 cases a year is hardly anything compared to the amount they receive, 100 a month. 

This video changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court, because it put into perspective all the decision making the process is. I did not realize how much work and time goes into making the decisions. There is also a lot of thought put into who can become a supreme court justice