Diffusion Theory in the New Media Environment: Toward an Integrated Technology Adoption Model

This article explores the venerable diffusion of innovations model and how changing technologies impact its applications and generalizations viewed as "products" of the model. We've examined some of the concepts involved, including characteristics of innovations, stages in the process, and characteristics of adopters. Then we attempted to develop a more complex understanding of the diffusion process by integrating theoretical frameworks from information sciences and uses and gratifications theory in developing a model for adopting technologies themselves.