ejsenson-blog

[ejsenson-blog]

HOW CONVERGENCE SHAPED THE WORLD

How does the internet change the way you live? Do you check you mobile device upon waking up in the morning? Actually, according Caroline Ghosn, “Your morning sets up the success of your day. So many people wake up and immediately check text messages, emails, and social media.” Actually, if you do this, you belong to 61% of all the people who use to check their phone in the first 5 minutes of their mornings [1]. This shows how massive digitalization had shape the world.

Internet had already revolutionized the way people live. This shows how media had evolved through time. In fact, what we see in the Net is actually a form of convergent media.

According to Moorehead State University [2],

“Convergent Media combines the traditional aspects of journalism, broadcasting and audio/video production and web design with innovative technology to give you the skills you need to be a successful media professional.”

Basically, convergent media can be treated as another form of media where combination of traditional media can be seen. An example of this is social media, the social media allows us to communicate and also access information such as news, this actually shows that social media is a combination of two traditional media, messaging and newspaper. But, what is a traditional media? Traditional media are forms of mass communication that were available for a long time and has been the major provider of information, such as news, of different people. Some examples of traditional media are prints, radio, TV etc.

With the rapid advancement in technology, this also helps convergent media to foster. With these, convergent media, really is, undeniably a new form of media since it already surpassed the traditional form of mass communication. The convergent media, e.g. the Internet, let us access the information we want in an instant, unlike in traditional media, we need to wait for a newspaper to be delivered, or wait until the news to be flashed on the TV screen and such. Majority of the people in the world today, already has a mobile device which makes convergent media more accessible with anyone. Since it is already available in the device they have, it is undeniable that people rely on their devices to access information. This is the reason why convergent media, specially the Internet, is the ‘new media’ for the majority.

Aside from easier access with the information we want, convergent media also allows us to become a producer of media as well. By producing convergent media, we can able to express ourselves. Expression of oneself is a big thing for an ordinary people, this will let an individual to showcase their talent and also, show the world their emotions, opinions and insights. Convergent media can be treated as a way to empower the ordinary people. There are many ways of empowering the people through this. In the past, the use of radio and television allowed the ordinary people’s voices to be heard. Nowadays, it is made relatively easier since the birth of the Internet. The Internet encouraged the people to speak more and essentially be more involved on many different issues such as politics. The Internet also allows everyone to show the world what they can offer. People now are using videos to present their unique talents, such as dancing and singing, and use various platforms like Tumblr for story-writing, essay writing, and many more. These are just some instances where convergent media made an ordinary people bigger.

The evolution in mass communication was so visible with the media and other forms of communication we had today. Communication started in oral cultures and due to the need to preserve knowledge and information, the literacy culture begun. This is similar to the evolution of traditional media to convergent media, since there is a constant need and drive to improve, the form of communication evolves. Basically, the evolution of orality to literacy and traditional to convergent media occurs due to a need. In the case of orality to literacy, the need is to preserve ideas and in the case of traditional to convergent media the need is the accessibility. It can also be observed that evolution from orality to literacy results to usage of certain medium to disseminate ideas and knowledge, i.e. in the form of prints, TV and more. In the evolution of traditional to convergent media, the evolution leads to the shift of prints, TV etc. to technology, which is the internet. Through the evolution of communication forms we are able to encounter certain problems, such as privacy, patents, and information control, since not all information available in the convergent media are factual. Same with the evolution from orality to literacy, there is also problems that occur in the transition, one of this is the preservation of the exact knowledge that an oral culture wants to store and prolong. There are instances that oral cultures that are being written to store, are subject to changes due to personal insights and more. In the future, it is expected that the communication or media we had today will continuously evolve because of the need of the people for better access, and more efficient form of communicating ideas with others. It is unavoidable that problems might also arise from the transition or evolution process but the society itself find its own ways to resolve such problems by implementing legislation or rules. Lastly, evolution of orality to literacy and traditional to convergent mainly was a result of a need to reach more audiences of the media.

Convergent media proves the theory that anyone can publish their own ideas. Although publication the Net is not as valuable as actual publication of knowledge, but since it has relatively lower cost and time-saving, a lot of people are using the convergent media to mark their ideas and innovations. Since social media and other tools the Internet can offer, are easily accessible, innovative minds were catered and enhanced. Convergent media promotes innovation and preparedness of people to meet the growth of digitalization and communicate with the world. In the end, mankind has dynamic minds, so we can expect that advancements and developments in mass media are yet to arrive.

Sources: [1] Study Finds 61% Of People Check Their Phone 5 Minutes After Waking Up. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2019, from https://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/12/study-61-percent-check-phones-5-mins-waking-up/ [2] Morehead State University :: Convergent Media (BA). (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2019, from https://www.moreheadstate.edu/Caudill-College-of-Arts,-Humanities-and-Social-Sci/Communication,-Media-and-Languages/Academic-Programs-(1)/Convergent-Media

Written by: Eduard Joseph Senson and Peter John Castillo