Looking Into Diffusion - Hoverboards

     Normally I would write about social media, motorized vehicles, cellphones, or something else that is not only prevalent today but an innovation that unlocked completely new avenues for society such as travel and communication across long distances. However, I found that something even more interesting to me was something that I was directly in the line of fire of, unfortunately quite literally, that being the hoverboard. The hoverboard drastically grew in popularity around 2015, ironically during the time that Back to the Future, a movie that featured a fictional floating hoverboard, listed as the time they went to when traveling forward through time. The name of the game with hoverboards was convenience. Unlike other forms of transportation such as bikes, scooters, and cars, hoverboards took the place of walking due to their slower speed, ease of use, and portability. I believe this, combined with Back to the Future, made the perfect opportunity for something that supposedly introduced the "convenience of the future." to the public at a relatively low (ish) cost. While my brothers enjoyed getting and using hoverboards, I preferred my bike, probably because I was scared to fall off of the hoverboard but also because bikes provide good exercise at a faster speed without charge. While bikes were certainly less portable and convenient to ride wherever the benefits to me of a bike overshadowed the benefits of a hoverboard. Well, that and the fact that hoverboards were known for overheating and exploding, likely being the main reason why they aren't nearly as popular or talked about as they were around 2015. Thankfully our hoverboards didn't catch fire or overheat when charged, but it did eventually break while my bike stayed intact and generally better for transportation in general. Of course, there are benefits to hoverboards and some people are better with one than any other, but personally, I believe there is a good reason why hoverboards are a thing of the past. Completely unrelated, but 2015 is almost a decade ago. I don't like to think about that.

Sources:

https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/mph-modules/sb/behavioralchangetheories/behavioralchangetheories4.html

https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/04/12/from-fad-to-flames-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-hoverboard-industry/#:~:text=In%20December%202015%2C%20every%20major,the%20devices%20anywhere%20on%20campus.