To speculate on
what the future of convergence may be, we must first discuss what convergence
has become today. The mass convergence of the many different types of media,
media outlets, new technology and the rapidly accelerating speed of our daily
lives has grown so exponentially in recent years that it’s truly hard to
predict what will happen in the next five anymore. Based on experience, we can
assume that all things media and technology will continue to converge together
more and more – possibly to the point of redundancy?
As it is, the
convergence of these things is already causing them to overlap in ways that can
sometimes be overwhelming. For example: the tweet from a friend that contains
an imbedded Instagram photo which is simultaneously linked to Facebook with
your name tagged in it so that you get not only separate e-mails (to your
iPhone and PC of course) from both Facebook and Twitter, but also Instagram
notifications within the app itself AND as special pop-ups on your phone… And don’t get me started on what happens when
people start <3 “Liking” this ONE post. I just got tired writing that. Did
you get tired reading it? Because that can and does seriously happen in a
matter of seconds depending on how many media sites you are connected to which have
figured out ways to converge together. As Jenkins illustrates, while
convergence creates ways of selling brand loyalty and other seemingly harmless
ploys (or subliminal messages), it also shamelessly exploits the advantages of
media conglomerates.
(Ever feel like you only see these icons all day long?)
On another
note, these kinds of convergence are NOT – usually not, actually - always bad
things. The convergence of, for example, a radio station informing listeners of
what keywords to #hashtag on Twitter via iPhone or Android in order to view
more shared information online during Hurricane Sandy was incredibly beneficial.
Social media websites like Facebook also provided outlets for normal, everyday
people to share information that can help others without having to go through a
more professional – and often harder to reach – medium like a TV station,
newspaper, et cetera. These opportunities to connect have become invaluable in
our new era of technology, and will continue to develop, and find ways to be
even better over time.
In terms of
popular culture and politics, the same framework applies. It has become so much
easier to learn about and discuss political candidates with others, show your
support through many media mediums, and join in with causes that you feel
strongly about in this day and age as opposed to the past. Actual lawmakers and
politicians are getting more involved with actual people through
newly-available means in the past decade. Being able to read tweeted quotes
from a national debate or tweets from your President’s twitter accounts at any
time of day or night – that’s a positive part of our new culture and politics.
Also, the public has a voice that can get very loud, so there is more
accountability today. All throughout our recent presidential campaign and leading up to last month's election, we saw an overwhelming amount of politics on TV, in newspapers, on the radio, and online; from polling results that are taken very seriously, to more humorous articles like this one:
The
intersection of technology and storytelling is also interesting. Simply put,
the Internet allows for anyone and everyone to be a storyteller. Where we used
to walk to one another’s offices or pick up the phone, we shoot emails and
texts. Instead of saving your stories to share with your loved one at the end
of a work day, you post them on your blog for the world to see. This is also
good and bad. It’s great that there are outlets for being to express themselves
artistically or emotionally without being published in a book or magazine.
However, journalistic integrity and what used to be considered “proper” writing
form, are getting lost in translation.
How can we
approach the future with our knowledge of the past and our contemporary
experiences? It would be wise to approach the future with both the past and the
present in mind. With new developments and advances in our lives we’re taught
lessons to learn from and remember in the future.
· What do we forsee and expect?
We’ve learned in our readings to
expect our children to learn faster due to the new technologies available –
faster than they already are, which is fast! We should expect to see children
who play video games to develop enhanced problem solving skills and possibly save the world. We should
expect that by bringing math and reading games into the classroom, kids will be
more eager to “play”/learn.
· How should we prepare / what should we think about?
We should remember that everything
will continue to change and be adapted to over and over again. “We are living
in a world where changes in communication, storytelling, and information
technologies are reshaping almost every aspect of contemporary life – including
how we create, consume, learn and interact with one another.” (Jenkins)
We should learn from mistakes that
were originally overlooked when certain technologies were new and rules were
not made; things that should not happen anymore, like cyber bullying leading to
drastic measures.
Clearly, this class has taught us that
no matter what the ever-changing future of media looks like, anyone who wants to can “get in
the game.”
As Jane McGonigal reminds us, "We have to make our own happiness—by working hard at activities that provide their own rewards."
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