Media Convergence and Its Effects on Daily Life
About 85% of us have ever texted someone, surfed the internet, and watched the TV at the same time. Sometimes back when one was going on a vacation would carry various devices and resources that will enable him to have an enjoyable time, such as a camcorder, DVD player, novel, and even a wallet to purchase essential items. Today we do not need all this, but only we require to have our smartphone, and everything gets done. With this, we can understand media convergence as a phenomenon that involves the interconnection of information and other communication technologies.
Media convergence puts together different technologies to one standard technology. It puts together the three Cs of technology, which are Communication, Computing, and Content, which results in media digitization and popularizing the internet. For example, the smartphone allows us to communicate, view, and share content as we could have required more devices before. Media convergence has significantly changed how we receive data; we can get TV news from the internet using a smartphone. In the concept of media convergence, Henry Jenkins media scholar theorizes that we have five categories which are: the textual, the technological, the political, the industrial, and the social.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
With the emergence of media convergence, drastic changes have affected our lives in different ways. Life has been made easy as this technology allows access and search the web more efficiently, conveniently and quickly. The availability of the World Wide Web has aided in businesses as they can trade online, and their customers can view and buy items online, thus making the business market very easy. Media convergence has played a crucial role in the growth of an online international business such as Amazon, Netflix as their content can be viewed by its customers all over the world.
With the application on social networks, the use of phones has helped in connecting users with their friends and colleagues’ phones. People can send and receive content immediately, not like before, when letters sent could take more time before they reach the recipient. Friends, even living on different continents, can communicate through chatting,video calling, and feel as if they are together. Smartphones have played a critical role in displaying information; people no longer have to watch TV news as they can access them anytime, anywhere on their phones. Any happening can be known immediately through youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram rather than waiting it to be documented in newspapers the following day, thus putting users in an informed situation of every happening.
Media convergence has led to more knowledge about different aspects. Media has become the best storyteller as it does not forget, and once information is stored, it cannot disappear. Professionals have used this platform to educate and inform people. We can watch movies in various aspects of the media. This convergence has been used to tell stories of countries, states, their populations, their economic growths, and their early life. Stories like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the matrix which were written can now be watched in videos. A Spanish scholar argues that transmedia storytelling has expanded its structure since it can get presented in various languages.
Although media convergence has been of considerable significance to the lives of people, it also has its adverse effects. The social network has addicted most people, especially the youths who tend to spend more time chatting, watching videos rather than doing constructive things that grow their careers. It has also led to poor morals among the youth as when they interact in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, they can meet people ready to spoil them like posting phonography.
In conclusion, media convergence is of great significance in the lives of people as it has led to economic growth and making life more comfortable. The interconnectivity of devices and platforms has led to the simultaneous handling of tasks with ease. More Innovators should be invited to bring in new technologies that will improve the already available one, thus making life more efficient. Also, there should be regulations laid to govern the uses of media convergence technology; therefore, it does not bring negative impacts to the users.
Refences
Allen, M. (2017). Web 2.0: An argument against convergence. In Media Convergence and Deconvergence (pp. 177-196). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Johansson, K., & Billings, A. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,277,260. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Kim, H. W. (2019). Media convergence: concept, discourse, and influence (Doctoral dissertation, City, University of London).
Thimm, C. (2017). Media convergence and the network society: Media logic (s), polymedia, and the transition of the public sphere. In Media convergence and deconvergence (pp. 93-112). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.