TED, and the non-human opinion leader

When we discussed in class the topic of diffusion in networks whether in disease, emotion, ideas or behavior, I remembered a TED talk that I saw not long ago about Seth Godin on standing out, and how and what will diffuse in today’s complex and informationally overloaded world. Seeing Seth talk, or any of the TED presenters for that matter, reminded me of Rogers’s piece of diffusion networks and his discussion on opinion leaders in the two-step flow model. TED is like a tiny condensed world of opinion leaders on every topic imaginable. Since the best of the best are selected to present at TED, we now quite instantly assume a great degree of credibility and innovativeness to a given TED presenter. TED’s motto is ideas worth spreading. I think TED itself although not a person became an opinion leader as it satisfied all the 4 characteristics that Rogers proposed (external communication, accessibility, socioeconomic status, and innovativeness). With its new project of TEDx throughout the globe, it certainly increased its accessibility to a completely new level. When I look back now and see that TEDx actually reached my home overseas with an event at my local university where thousands lined up to watch new “ideas”, I think there can’t be a better example of the diffusion of ideas. But I think that the concept of opinion leaders can be extended to include institutions, and also other agents that are not directly human such as highly esteemed magazines, universities, and think thanks where it’s not nesserily that name of the “person” that matters in influencing opinion but rather the institutions itself. I recently got addicted to NPR. Every now and then when there is a debate on a certain topic (which for some reason there are a lot of them around 8-9 am as I’m going to school). Often one party will use and cite “Harvard, or MIT” research as part of their argument. They won’t say x, or y, they will simply a Harvard research and that’s enough to give credibility and all the traits of an opinion leader. It’s interesting to think how this can expand to include countries as a whole as non-human opinion leaders. When I travel to a third world country , I often hear (as well as use) the argument that this happened in the America, or that has been discovered or made or written about in the US. This is enough to win an argument. Maybe I’m mixing opinion leaders or simplifying them to credibility, but maybe it also depends on who you’re asking, as in less advanced societies credibility and what criteria are needed to influence people re quite different which Rogers also touched upon. In some Sub Sharhan countries where I have many friends, simply anything Western (regardless of how broad this word is ), is enough to impress, influence and change minds (although the product or idea can be found locally right around the corner!).