How the Innovation Diffusion of Facebook Changed Internet Usage and Expression of Public Opinion in Taiwan: Using Voters' Internet and Facebook Usage during the 2016 Taiwanese Presidential Election as an Example

Abstract

Taiwan is a country with fairly high internet and smart phone penetration. By 2014, more than 70% of Taiwanese over the age of 15 owned a smart phone. Using Facebook online or via mobile internet has gradually become an accepted innovation for most Taiwanese, especially for the new generation. Among Taiwan's population of 23 million populations, there are 18 million Facebook (FB) users. Some Taiwanese have more than one FB account. This study aims to discover whether the innovation diffusion theory and spiral of silence phenomenon work on Facebook usage and adoption during the 2016 Taiwanese Presidential Election. In this study, the researcher launched an in-depth interview to get qualitative data from 9 interviewees who are enthusiastic voters and political party supporters. Furthermore, the researcher launched an internet survey obtaining a sample of 485 respondents. The research results showed us that social media, such as Facebook, had already replaced traditional media during the 2016 presidential election in Taiwan and changed voters' media usage and expression of public opinion. Facebook users or adopters can use their quasi-statistical organ to gain an impression of the public opinion climate on Facebook, and these factors affected or changed their public opinions expression on FB. The 2016 Presidential Election in Taiwan was an important social or political movement for Taiwanese. The research results showed the innovation diffusion or adoption of Facebook changed the Internet Usage and Public Opinions Expression in Taiwan, and it also partially provided support that the Spiral of Silence theory could be applied to the new social media in Taiwan.