Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide

"Convergence does not mean ultimate stability or unity" (H Jenkins 2006 p.11). Then, what does Convergence culture mean?

Jenkins explained that convergence culture refers to the "flow of content across multiple media platforms" and argues against the idea of it being mainly understood as a "technological process" combing multiple media functions into one single device (ibid p.3)

Convergence, which Jenkins describes as a 'cultural shift' is when one device has many other features in addition to its original function. In the past, a device would have had one function and fairly little/no additional features, whereas now the devices evolved and carry out other tasks along side its original function. Jenkins uses a very good example in his novel to support his argument. It is undeniable that we have and are still witnessing the clear evolving and development of mobile phones. Year after year mobile phones are carrying out more tasks, you can almost do anything on your mobile phone, to the point we actually forget its original function. Jenkins requested a mobile phone with no additional features (camera, mp3 player etc) and was unable to obtain one as companies stopped producing them claiming "nobody wants them" (ibid p.5). This is an excellent example demonstrating clearly his argument about the cultural shift and the media convergence which we witness today. 

Jenkins also argues that the "old media never die" (ibid p.13) and what actually dies are the "tools that we use to access media content". What Jenkins means is that old media won't disappear, though it changes/evolves and is used in different methods, but still for the same reason, for example, obtaining news online is the same as the news we read on the newspaper, but how we access the media is the only difference. 

References:

Henry Jenkins (2006), Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide, Introduction: "Worship at the Altar of Convergence" pp.1-25

Images: 
1)
http://www.muymovil.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/evolition-of-mobilephoneEdit_thumb555.jpg
Accessed on the date of 08/10/2013

2)
 http://soulclassy.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/newspaper_business_internet_4118851.jpg
Accessed on the date of 08/10/2013