Convergence culture today is very advanced for its time. Social
media grew extremely fast in the past decade going from something unknown and
barely used to this huge tool for information. At this very moment millions of
users are connected through Facebook or Twitter, constantly sending information
out to one another. Going into the New Year, we can get the idea of where we
are headed as far as the future of convergence media goes. Today we see social
media, blog sites, and YouTube play a big role in the way media works and
functions, and how they are used almost every day for information.
The future of convergence really depends heavily on the
future of technology. Today convergence media such as Facebook and Twitter
became popular so easily because the technology allows it to be so easily
accessible. Had the two tried to gain notoriety a decade ago, they would have
failed horribly because technology would have been primitive compared to the
technology today. A decade ago, I didn't have a cell phone that would have
allowed me to Tweet and update my Facebook status at once; actually a decade
ago I didn't even have a cell phone.
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Along with advances in technology, the need and want for
ease of access also fuels convergence media, for example, the Google Glasses.
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| Google Glasses |
These glasses give the user access to the internet in front
of their very eyes. There is no pulling out a cell phone or tablet; there is
only a world of media in front of you. Google created this, not only because
they could, but also because they wanted to make the next big thing. Once these
Google Glasses get perfected, cell phones will be virtually old tech compared to
them. It also panders to the ease of access notion that almost all human beings
in today's world have. No one can argue that they want, even with their cool
new phones and tablets, to be able to do things faster and easier. With the New
Year upon us, the need and want to do things easily will catch up and if we
want something, technology will deliver it.
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| Cell Phone Concept |
The above image shows a concept idea for a cell phone. As
you can see, people are no longer thinking to make things smaller. People want
bigger phones like the 5.5" Samsung Galaxy Note 2 because they can use it
for more than just making calls and sending texts. Why lug around a laptop,
tablet, and cell phone when you can do it all on one machine? This idea touches
up on the ease of access notion. The lazier people become the more technology
will advance itself to make things easier for them.
As far as the future of convergence media goes, there seems
to be no end in sight as far as the American people are concerned. Other
countries that are being oppressed might not see the same advance in social
media and technology as we do. As an
American I am grateful that I live in a world where I can communicate with such
a large population in such a short amount of time. A decade ago when my voice
would not have been heard by anyone, can now be heard by millions. Walking
towards the future, convergence media is going to practically take over and
become as big a driving force as the radio and television were in they heyday.
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