A Recap Of The Year In Digital Media & "The Tipping Point"

Trends in Digital Media

The PDF, 2010 Year In Review, states that the year 2010 was a year of renewed optimism and excitement in the digital media industry. A trend I found most interesting from this PDF was the “search” trend. For example, the U.S search market continues to evolve, with Google and Bing both making strides in the past year (comScore,Inc. 30). I found this trend most interesting because I did not consider search engines to be an evolving trend. The trends that first pop into my mind as evolving are social networks, smartphone adoption, online video viewing, and online advertising. I think search engines are not recognized has a trend in the digital media world, or at least in my opinion, because I have become accustomed to using the Google search engine everyday, that it has now become a daily routine; daily routines can be seen as less innovative and fresh. In addition, my knowledge of the various search engines is limited because I have only heard about Bing through television commercials. However, after reviewing this PDF, I have learned that this trend is actually innovative and the year 2011 is a year that promises to give an even clearer view of how integration of social data may further enhance the quality of search results (30).

The Tipping Point

I found the origins of the word “Tipping Point” to be fascinating. For instance, the Tipping Point Brief states that the word “Tipping Point” comes from the world of epidemiology and is the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches its critical mass. Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, is convinced that ideas and behaviors move through a population much like a disease or epidemic. Ideas can be contagious; ideas can create social epidemics.

Gladwell goes on to explain and identify three variables that determine whether and when the “tipping point” will be achieved. These three rules include: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.

The Law of the Few suggests that before a trend can popularize, a few key types of individuals must campaign the trend’s popularity. These types of people are seen as the Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. The more individuals from these three categories representing and endorsing a new idea, the increased likelihood the trend will be tipped into exponential popularity and success. The Stickiness Factor is another key role in determining whether a trend will attain exponential popularity. Gladwell explains that this factor describes the quality that compels the phenomenon to “stick” in the minds of the public and influence future behavior. The Stickiness Factor is also most often generated unconventionally and spontaneously. Lastly, another crucial aspect of the “Tipping Point” is the Power of Context. The Power of Context is critical in determining whether a trend will tip into widespread popularity. Gladwell goes on to suggest that if the environment or historical moment in which a trend is introduced is not right, it is not as likely that the tipping point will be attained.

Furthermore, these three variables that determine whether and when the “Tipping Point” will be achieved reminded me of the YouTube sensation Rebecca Black. Rebecca Black is currently a new American teen pop singer who has gained worldwide popularity with her 2011 single “Friday” (Wikipedia Rebecca Black). This reminded me of Gladwell’s material and how it applied to social media because according to the Law of Few, Black’s video was uploaded to YouTube in February and only received an estimated 1,000 views in the first month. However, the music video today has now received over 109 million views. The video went viral on but of all days Friday, March 11, 2011, acquiring millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days. As for the Stickiness Factor, Black’s simplistic lyrics and catchy tune have stuck in people’s mind and the negative criticism and use of social media can be credited to her success and fame. Finally, the Power of Context element can be found in Black’s choice to launch her video on YouTube. YouTube is the perfect environment to launch new talent. In addition, in order for a trend to tip into massive popularity, large numbers of people need to embrace it, which is the type of environment YouTube provides.

In conclusion, as Gladwell states, the typical behavior of epidemics is that they can blow up and then die out really quickly. Perhaps, Rebecca’s popularity will blow up further or die out soon. Only time will tell if she is a one hit wonder…

Until Thursday,

Connie Rae