Convergence Culture

We live in a world which is ever changing. One spectacular creation which is advancing faster than anything else is the media. For millions of people today the media and the internet are idols, they worship the content and communications which are available to them at the click of a button. Mobile phones are no longer devices which only allow you to make calls and send text messages. They are now equipped with cameras, MP3 players, organisers, games, internet explorers and libraries full of books. This is an example of converged media.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fqH4r61zk 

Jenkin's writes, that convergence culture is 'where old and new media collide.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 2) Just as the automobile converged with the horse and cart and the television converged with radio, the smart-phone converged with the telegram. 'Convergence is an old concept taking on new meaning.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 6) New media do not abolish old media, they intersect and become a new advanced media. Convergence is 'the idea that because of progress of technology various different types of media such as the television, newspapers and radio are combining into a single media, for example, television and computer technology are increasingly becoming the same thing.'  (Online: Youtube, 2013)

        
In his book Jenkins talks about the 'Black Box Fallacy.' It is the idea that all media content will flow through the 'black box' in our living rooms or the little black box in our pockets, i.e. mobile phones. (Jenkins, 2008,) Ray Kurzweil, a director of engineering at Google said 'so what used to fit in a building, i.e. computers, now fits in your pocket i.e. mobile phones, what fits in your pocket now will fit inside a blood cell in 25 years.' (Online: YouTube, 2013)

                                          Figure 1

An important note is that new media are not being banished. 'Rather, their functions and status are being shifted by the introduction of new technologies.' (Jenkins, 2008, Pg. 14) If we think about it, spoken words have not been killed by printed words and the radio has not been killed by television. Old media forms have been required to synchronise with new media, therefore making an even better and more advanced media with more to offer active consumers. (Jenkins, 2008)
In a few years the incredibly advanced media we have today may be just a thing of the past as more shifts in technology will take place and who knows what the future holds.

Books:
Henry Jenkins, 'Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide', 2008, NYU Press

Websites:
Laurence Bolton, 'Convergence Media', 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed on 8/10/13 Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUlRbx8sX2A
CommKh, 'Convergence Media', 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed on 8/10/13 Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM8dLz-nmlw
Hudson Millar, 'iPhone Convergence' 2013, YouTube [Online] Accessed 8/10/13 Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fqH4r61zk 

Images:
Figure 1 - http://www.convergencecatalyst.com/blog/2012/04/02/technology-manifestation-cycles-for-true-convergence/ 'Technology manifestation cycles for 'True Convergence', posted 2/4/2012 [Accessed: 8th October 2013]