While critics of Twitter, the most popular microblogging application, dismiss the service as frivolous, proponents tout a variety of educational, political and commercial uses. Drawing from social construction theories of technology, this research uses the grounded theory approach to analyze press coverage of this emerging technology from 2006 through the first months of 2009. While the specifics of Twitter may be new, this research demonstrates that the public response to this web tool is similar to the public reaction to earlier communication technologies including the telegraph, radio and the internet. Despite vocal skepticism from some, the research shows newspapers, magazines and blogs have promoted and actively encouraged Twitter’s diffusion.
In the early 1920s, audiences for thejirst radio stations were primarily male hobbyists who had assembled their own receivers. By the end of the decade, radio had become widespread and factory-built receivers were the norm. Drawing from social construction theories of technology, this study explores the specific retail techniques used by department stores to promote this technology during broadcasting's initial boom. With classes, set-building contests, and window displays, the stores educated potential listeners and spurred the diffusion of this new innovation. Radio sales peaked during the Christmas season, and department stores based many promotions on recognized holiday traditions. As the decade progressed, the stores sought to overcome the summer recession in radio sales and to establish broadcasting as a year-round activity. These findings shed light on the process by which new media technologies are incorporated into the mainstream of society.
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