Download The Adoption Process of Cell Phones: A Personal Experience and more Papers Communication in PDF only on Docsity! Sheena Kemp Com 218 A-3: Adoption Process 2/9/05 In the past I have been introduced to many types of technology. Family, friends and teachers have all attributed to my knowledge of the latest innovations and have helped me to become familiar with them and be able to use them in my everyday life. I chose to analyze my adoption of the cell phone, because it was the first innovation that I embraced on my own. The first step of the adoption process is knowledge. I was first exposed to cell phones at a young age because my mother had one. I am not talking about the cell phone that we are familiar with today, but the pre-historic cell phone that is very large and plugs into the lighter outlet in a car. I was amazed as a child because she could make phone calls in the car while driving at the same time! At the time I had no motivation to have a cell phone of my own, but only because I had no use for one at the time. Through the years I noticed how all of my friend’s parents began to “adopt” cell phones, and I witnessed how they had evolved into smaller and now cordless versions of what my mother once had. At this time I was approaching high school, and some of my girlfriends were able to borrow their parent’s phones when we went to the mall or to movies. The purpose of this was to ensure that we could be reached or be able to get in touch with our parents if we needed a ride. I was aware that the cell phone existed, but at the time only adults used them. The second step of the adoption process is persuasion/evaluation. In this part of the cycle, a person begins to become influenced by other adopters. I was not allowed to have a cell phone in high school, but I observed that many of my friends were starting to carry cell phones pretty regularly. I still didn’t feel that I needed one, but I started to notice how everyone seemed to have a cell phone. When I got to college all of my friends had cell phones, and I saw how much easier it was for them to get in touch with each other when we were out on the weekends. I found myself starting to want a cell phone not only because of peer pressure, but they seemed to make life easier. I wanted to be able to make phone calls at my convenience, plus I would feel a little more secure having a cell phone if I encountered an emergency. I realized that there were many advantages to having a cell phone and I desired to partake in them. The third step of the adoption process is the decision of whether or not to “adopt” the technology. I decided to weigh my options. The positive aspects were endless, but the only negative part was that I would have to pay my first monthly bill. I had a job at the time and decided I could afford it so why not? Soon after this I went into a local store and adopted my first innovation, the cell phone. The fourth step of the adoption process is implementation. I put my cell phone to use immediately. I called all of my friends to tell them that I now had a cell phone and when I first began to get phone calls, I’ll admit, I felt really grown up. I found that I could make important calls immediately and my parents could get in touch with me whenever they needed to. I realized that I was missing out on a world where I did not have to wait to get home to make phone calls, but could call anyone from wherever I was at the moment. The final step of the adoption process is confirmation. At this point a person either rejects the innovation, or realizes that it has become a way of life. My cell phone
