The Tipping Point; Post 3

The Tipping Point
By: Malcolm Gladwell
Post 3

So, I've finished The Tipping Point. It was quite enjoyable. The remaining two categories, or causes, of epidemics that the books lays out are the "Stickiness Factor," and the power what environment in which the epidemic begins. Overall, the book has been a very interesting read, albeit a sluggish one. The ideas laid out in the book were very in-depth and analytical, and they really piqued my interest, but it was tough to read analysis after analysis for hours on end. That's one of the reasons it took me so long to put out these past few posts. But anyway...

The "Stickiness Factor," as Gladwell calls it, is essentially what makes ideas that are the focus of various epidemics so popular, what makes them remembered, what makes them "sticky." Examples he gave of "sticky" trending ideas were the TV shows Sesame Street and Blues Clues. They captivated toddler audiences after multiple trial and error experiments to find what made TV shows for kids "sticky." The results were that the shows were unlike any other of the time. Blues Clues, for instance, aired the same episode multiple times in a week and encouraged audience involvement, which was unheard of at the time, but made the show incredibly popular. Sesame Street blurred the lines between fantasy and reality (putting Muppets on the same stage as human actors), and was successful enough to consistently improve the literacy rate of viewers. All these tactics made these shows unique and "sticky" to the intended audience(s), resulting their rise and popularity and classification as a trend/epidemic.

The power of the environment the epidemic thrives in is described in the chapters: "The Power of Context (Part One and Two)." One example illustrates how the physical environment, such as a city, affects epidemics. The crime rate in New York dropped drastically, likely due to the massive effort that was put into renovating, cleaning, and improving of the subway system. Graffiti was erased, subway trains were maintained and vandalized ones were never allowed to run; the subway police knuckled down on "turnstile-jumping" (a crime in which people would skip subway fares and jump over the turnstiles, hence then name). By creating a different environment, in which crime would not thrive, an epidemic was able to occur. The rapid 1990's New York crime rate decline. Another example of environmental effects on epidemics involved the actions of others around trend starters. Such as in Micronesia, where adolescent suicide became a trend. One boy's death caused many others to follow suit, even if for seemingly trivial reasons, or because they want to "experiment" with suicide, the way teenagers may "experiment" with drugs and alcohol. (Note: This example of the usage of the Power of Context is from one of the Case Study chapters)

There were additional chapters, titled "Case Study" which gave examples of all three elements of epidemics; you got to see his theories/opinions/ideas/concepts in action.

Gladwell most definitely has ideas for thought in this book. He provided many, many, MANY, examples, ideas, analyses, opinions, and insights on the causes of epidemics. Just looking aback on the whole book and thinking about them: "The Law of Few (Gladwell Chap 1)", which laid out what kind of people start and spread epidemics; "The Stickiness Factor (Gladwell Chap 2)", which explained what kind of elements made a trend stick and become popular; and "The Power of Context Parts One and Two" (Gladwell Chap 4 and 5), which told how environments can affect epidemics.

On a personal note, I too have seen epidemics of a similar nature, with elements similar to such as those that Gladwell describes. There was a computer game that was growing in popularity. I, personally, had heard of it, but never thought to ever play it. I had heard about it through many friends who acted as Salesmen, who also played it (environmental influence on me), and eventually, after watching it become popularized by Mavens on YouTube, I gave it a try. And, it worked, and I became part of this very fun, addicting, "sticky" trend, that is continuing to grow fast. As of this past February, this game, the PC game Minecraft, has sold over 14 million copies on PC/Mac/Linux, and over 35 million copies across Computers, Xbox, and Mobile platforms.

I think the real thing that amazed me about this book is how applicable it is, and how the logic to his arguments and the examples he uses to support them, all make so much sense. It can even be seen applied in our own lives. Overall, while it may have dried up at times (analysis, while interesting, is no easy thing to read for hours on end), The Tipping Point has been a great book!

Until next time,
Josh C.