Laggards/Late Adopters

Definition

Laggards or Late Adopters are individuals or groups who adopt a new idea, product, or technology after the majority of society has already done so. They are typically skeptical about innovation and change.

Analogy

Think of laggards/late adopters as the last ones to arrive at a party. Everyone else is already there, having fun and enjoying the event. The latecomers finally show up when they're sure it's a good time and worth their while.

Related terms

Innovation Diffusion: This is the process by which an innovation spreads within a social system over time.

Early Adopters: These are individuals who adopt an innovation early in the diffusion process but after innovators have done so.

Technology Gap: This refers to the disparity in access to information technology among various socio-economic groups, often resulting in late adoption for those with less access.