Why might some innovations fail to become standard?

• A. They are always adopted if they are trendy.
• B. They appear only in writing, never speech.
• C. Lack of prestige, practicality, or broad social adoption.
• D. They are immediately codified by institutions.

Answer: (C)

What matters for an innovation to become standard is social diffusion: prestige, practicality, and broad social adoption. If a change isn’t seen as useful or desirable, or it lacks enough social prestige to persuade a wide range of speakers, it stays confined to a small group and doesn’t spread. Even something that’s trendy may fail to become standard if it’s awkward to use or doesn’t offer clear benefits to most people, or if influential communities don’t adopt it. Conversely, a change that’s easy to use, useful across contexts, and endorsed by influential groups or institutions is more likely to become the accepted norm. The other ideas don’t fit because trends aren’t guaranteed to spread, innovations can appear in speech as well as writing, and codification by institutions takes time and isn’t automatic.