With the development of the mass media, from television to mobile phones, they change people’s communication and the way of getting information. In the early stages of media development, people receive the information directly from television, a model known as the one-step flow theory. However, in the “mobile phone” era, the process of information dissemination has become more complex. Now I want to talk about a theory, “Two-Step Flow Theory.”
The “Two-Step Flow Theory” suggests that individuals form their opinions under the influence of the opinion leaders, who are also influenced by mass media. According to this theory, information first flows from mass media to opinion leaders and then from them to wider audiences. Who are opinion leaders? For example, famous stars, scientists, influencers from social media, and so on. They all have a certain degree of influence. The opinion leaders sometimes add their own opinions, so the information could not be made sure to be current.
This theory can be observed in many real-life situations. First of all, a fashion company launches some new stylish clothes and advertises them through TV and online advertising. However, most customers do not buy it directly after seeing the advertisements. Instead, they wait for fashion influencers on YouTube or Instagram to review it. When the influencers recommend the clothes, their followers trust their opinion and then decide to buy them. Another example is that a government shares information about disease prevention on TV. Many people do not fully understand or trust the message until some professional doctors explain it. These examples demonstrate that this theory can be reflected on everywhere in modern society.
In my opinion, “Two-Step Flow Theory” is just suitable for part of the situation in today’s new media environment. When information is urgent, people receive it directly from mass media rather than waiting for opinion leaders, such as natural disasters, earthquakes, floods, fires, and so on. Furthermore, ordinary people who can get more page views and followers can post their opinions and videos on social media like TikTok, instagram and X as well. As a result, information is now spread through multiple steps, and almost anyone has the potential to become an opinion leader. Everyone can be an individual of dissemination.
It was quite interesting to read the idea behind your blog. I particularly enjoyed how you structured it and the real-life example you included about the fashion company being exposed through advertising. It reminded me that behind this theory, there are actually several complex factors at play. Moreover, you did a great job of critically analyzing the Two-Step Flow Theory, which also raises an important question: how can we guide or influence audiences to fully engage with opinion leaders? And is it possible to build strong individual reflections within ordinary groups?