Tara Jabbari Fall 2016Communication Theory and FrameworksFinal Paper

The Fandom between A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones explained by Diffusion of Innovation and Social Information Processing

In this age of the Internet and digital media, fans have become more vocal

and more noticed. They communicate to fellow fans, theorize and discuss on

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their fandoms, even have arguments online. Communication theories have been

used to understand human interactions and reasoning. Taking the influence of

digital media, Diffusion of Innovation and Social Information Processing are two

theories that are useful to enhance the understanding of the fandom between A

Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. Not only researchers can learn from

these two passionate fandoms but also producers and studios may find it

beneficial. The entertainment industry can learn how to see what fans of a book

series that was years before the show will treat and influence the show’s fans.

Taking these two fandoms as examples, we need to know the history. In

1996 the first book of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire was released

to the public. A following of loyal readers started to grow from his already

established fans. Two years later, the second book was released, two years after

that was the third book. Readers digested the 700 plus pages of each book,

dissecting the words. They theorized where Martin was taking his characters and

what happened to them that he had not literally spelled out in the pages. These

faithful fans continued with their dissection and theories, waiting for five years

before the fourth book. While waiting for the fifth book to be released, news came

that HBO was in the process of producing a show based on A Song of Ice and

Fire called Game of Thrones.1 The show premiered in 2011 and steadily grew the

fandom not only for the show but also for the books. Six years have past and the

1 “A Song of Ice and Fire,” Wikipedia, November 20, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire&oldid=750490325.

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show has gone past the released books. The show meanwhile has broken

records in viewership and awards received.2

The fandom between the show and the books is a unique one, not

because of what has been created by fans. Conventions, cosplays, websites,

even smartphone apps are not what made the fandom special. There have also

been many books turned into a television shows or movies that have caused a

rift between book readers and viewers. The uniqueness of this fandom is the

sheer attention it receives and the amount of fans that participate in sharing their

opinions on each of their fandoms. Arguments are exchanged in online forums

and social media comments between the ASOIAF and GOT fans about who is

the bigger and better fan. Two communication theories can explain the fandom

between A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. Explaining the history of

the theories and their key characteristics will shed light in the growing fandoms.

The theories are Diffusion of Innovation and Social Information Processing.

Diffusion of Innovation was first published in 1962 by Everett Rogers and

explains how, why and at what rate new ideas are spread and adopted.3 There

are five levels of adopters: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late

majority, and laggards. In the case of the world that George RR Martin has

created, there are many different forms of adopters. There is of course the first

publishers as the innovators and HBO as an early adopter who agreed to bring

2 “Game of Thrones,” Wikipedia, November 24, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Game_of_Thrones&oldid=751215900.

3 “Diffusion of Innovations,” Wikipedia, November 27, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diffusion_of_innovations&oldid=751770857.

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Martin’s creation to the public. In the concentration of the fandom, there are also

splits. As researchers, Elihu Katz, Martin L. Levin and Herbert Hamilton point out:

time is a crucial ingredient in the diffusion process. Time allows researchers to

learn when and how individuals begin to take of something. This is a unique

version of a communication theory because it allows more substance to

understanding the social construct of an idea.4

For the book series, the innovators would be the first group of readers who

started to theorize and write fan fiction while waiting for the next part of the book

series to be released. The early adopter would be the second group of readers

who were recommended by the innovators about the book series. The early

majority would be when the book readers spiked after the premiere of the show

and participated in online discussions. Late majority readers would be those who

started reading the books to see what happens next while waiting for the next

season of the show to start airing. Laggards are those who decided to read the

books after finishing the available shows even though the show has surpassed

the timeline of the published books.

Then there are the fans of the show only. The innovators would be those

who watched since the pilot. The early adopters would be those who watched the

entire first and possibly second season in bulk, not as weekly viewings.5 Early

majority starts at season 3 when the show started getting more and more viewers

because innovators and early adopters kept talking about the show either face-

to-face or online. This caused more people to pay attention and catch up to start

4 Elihu Katz, Martin L. Levin and Herbert Hamilton .(1963). "Traditions of Research on the Diffusion of Innovation". American Sociological Review. 28 (2): 237–252. doi:10.2307/2090611.5 This kind of watching television is also known as binge-watching.

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watching the new season. Late majority are those who watched the show and

started the show later in season 4 or 5 and began binge-watching to catch up

and see what the hype is all about. Laggards are those who start watching after

the much raved and praised season 6 or the ones who say they will watch the

show after the series finale which is expected to be in the summer of 2018.

How do these two fandoms communicate and possibly effect their views?

Social Information Processing can explain that, it was developed in 1992 and

explains the relationships created and conducted in a computer-mediated

environment.6 These environments include but are not limited to emails, online

message boards, text messages, and social media posts and comments. The

argument that SIP has is that the online interpersonal relationships have the

same relational dimensions and qualities as the traditional face-to-face

relationships.7 The growth of computer-mediated communications has made

many adjustments to Social Information Processing and the studies are

continuously being updated. Many theorists argue that SIP and CMC will never

be a suitable substitute to face-to-face communication. CMC takes a longer time

to accomplish more than just data transfer and therefore, F2F will always be the

most efficient way to transfer information and also allows the receiver to

understand the best way.8

6 “Social Information Processing (theory),” Wikipedia, November 22, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_information_processing_(theory)&oldid=750913834.

7 “Social Information Processing (theory),” Wikipedia, November 22, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_information_processing_(theory)&oldid=750913834.

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Other theorists argue that CMC has a wider range and therefore larger

number of people can be connected by information and opinions shared than

F2F could ever allow.9 Through the easy access to the Internet, it also permits a

growing number of exchanges between individuals. In marketing, the media has

taken advantages of such correspondence and start giving real-time feedback

such as Ask Me Anything sessions on popular websites. The fans of A Song of

Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones have been able to share their theories,

reviews and frustrations online not only within their fandom but to the creators.

Martin along with the cast and crew of the show have participated in online

discussions to build onto the fandom’s loyalties.

Through the use of social media, Social Information Processing has grown

for the fandoms in both uniting and dividing the book readers and the TV show

watchers. There are fan accounts in almost all the popular social media profiles,

such as Instagram or Facebook. There are Wikipedia and Reddit sites solely for

the show and another for the book as well as a few that combine both. Here are

two examples of how the book readers and the show watchers are

communicating through Instagram. On the left is a confession submitted to a

popular Instagram account, @gotconfess, on the right is an image of users who

comment on their thoughts of the confession.

The first example (below) is a confession about a character that is not portrayed

on the show but is heavy in the books. There are two fans that converse back 8 Joseph B. Walther. (1992). "Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A relational perspective.". Communication Research. 19 (1): 52–90. doi:10.1177/009365092019001003.

9 Mani R. Subramani and Balajj Rajagopalan. (1 December 2003). "Knowledge-sharing and influence in online social networks via viral marketing". Communications of the ACM. 46 (12): 300. doi:10.1145/953460.953514.

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and forth on Instagram about their thoughts on the confession and the show

versus the book:

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The second example (above) is a confession about the show and a fan sharing their thoughts on the show versus the books.

Diffusion of Innovation explains how fans of the books and the TV show,

individually and combined grew. Social Information Processing explains how

these fans (just books, just show, both) interact with each other to enhance their

experience with the stories. DOI approaches the fandoms by learning who is

what category of fans and when they started. Their interactions online are

connected to SIP. For instance, TV show watchers who do not want to read the

books will consult with the readers about theories. Is it cheating? Is it damaging

for the TV shows experience? What is lost in the show that you get in the books?

The Internet has allowed fans of either or both to connect, debate and teach. No

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one wins or loses but these theories prove how a fandom grows and how they

treat each other in the digital age.

Bibliography:

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“A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book One) | George R.R. Martin.”

Accessed December 7, 2016. http://www.georgerrmartin.com/grrm_book/a-

game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-book-one/.

Chun, C. “An Open Letter to Game of Thrones Fans from a A Song of Ice and

Fire Nerd.” The Tempest, June 21, 2016.

https://thetempest.co/2016/06/21/entertainment/an-open-letter-to-game-of-

thrones-fans-from-a-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-nerd/.

Choi, H; Kim, S-H; Lee, J (2010). "Role of Network Structure and Network Effects

in Diffusion of Innovations". Industrial Marketing Management. 39 (1): 170–

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Damanpour, F (1996). "Organizational Complexity and Innovation: Developing

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“Diffusion of Innovations.” Wikipedia, November 27, 2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Diffusion_of_innovations&oldid=751770857.

Katz, E; Levin, M; Hamilton, H (1963). "Traditions of Research on the Diffusion of

Innovation". American Sociological Review. 28 (2): 237–252.

doi:10.2307/2090611.

Gallagher, Caitlin. “13 Reasons Every ‘Game Of Thrones’ Fan Should Read The

‘A Song Of Ice And Fire’ Books.” Accessed November 21, 2016.

/articles/167521-13-reasons-every-game-of-thrones-fan-should-read-the-a-

song-of-ice-and-fire.

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“Game of Thrones.” Wikipedia, November 24, 2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Game_of_Thrones&oldid=751215900.

Game of Thrones Confessions. Instagram post. November 16, 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM5zhi4BEMp/.

Game of Thrones Confessions. Instagram post. November 17, 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM3CFNaBZek/

“A Song of Ice and Fire.” Wikipedia, November 20, 2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire&oldid=750490325.

Mellor, Louisa. “Game Of Thrones: Should ASoIaF Readers Avoid the Show?”

Den of Geek. Accessed November 21, 2016.

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should-asoiaf-readers-avoid-the-show.

Postmes, Tom; Spears, Russell; Lea, Martin. (1 December 1998). "Breaching or

Building Social Boundaries?: SIDE-Effects of Computer-Mediated

Communication". Communication Research. 25 (6): 689–715.

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Ryan, Shane. “22 Big Differences Between the Game of Thrones TV Show and

GRRM’s Books.” Pastemagazine.com. Accessed November 21, 2016.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/05/20-big-differences-between-

the-game-of-thrones-tv.html.

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“Social Information Processing (theory).” Wikipedia, November 22, 2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Social_information_processing_(theory)&oldid=750913834.

Subramani, Mani R.; Rajagopalan, Balaji (1 December 2003). "Knowledge-

sharing and influence in online social networks via viral marketing".

Communications of the ACM. 46 (12): 300. doi:10.1145/953460.953514.

Walther, Joseph B. (1992). "Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated

interaction: A relational perspective.". Communication Research. 19 (1): 52–

90. doi:10.1177/009365092019001003.

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