Post 4: So, What Now? The Future of Convergence.

POST 4: So, What Now? The Future of Convergence. 

Convergence.

If someone were to ask us to not participate in any media and or technology related objects, it’d be almost impossible. Our lives have been molded by the technology usage in our society and have become absorbed into convergence. From having to only be able to read about the news on a piece of paper written hand by hand, have changed to the development of newspapers, and now we live in a society where we no longer have a need to read the newspaper but read online through apps on the phone. Our phone has become a big part of the convergence throughout history because of its ability to multi task within a single object. From having to have your textbooks for class have now changed to buying off a kindle version for a cheaper price. Convergence is happening right now, but have not fully developed itself completely, however, I believe that the idea of convergence and the advancement of technology will change our society in the near future.

                                                                                         

Wii allowed consumers to be interactive

Convergence even is we may not be realizing it right now, is happening all the time. From the technological advancement of communication to high tech media related objects, convergence is living amongst us. As technology is advancing into the media like world, each media has also found itself evolving itself to become more portable and interactive with users. Creating a key relationship with the consumer is very important in terms of technology. More and more devices are being shown to society as a more interactive device. WII, a home video game console that was released in 2006 was a big hit amongst families and friends. There was finally a device where they can actually stand up and participate because of its ability to detect three dimensions and get the player to become more active. Because of its ability to allow consumers to be interactive with the product gave it the “best selling latest generation console system in the world” (Nintendo).

In Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication, Pavlik and McIntosh writes about “produsers.” A produser is “the notion that audiences cannot simply be considered consumers anymore but also often take an active role in producing content or information” (Pavlik 259). The authors introduce a term, which indicates the involvement of consumers in this society in which they actually “talk back” to the producers. The people are the future of convergence, the produsers who have constant feedback on certain subjects and looked at a larger scale. “People do not have to contribute something to feel like they are part of a community; it may be enough for many to see that others feel the way they do, connecting them to something larger” (Pavlik 259), people are trying to be a part of the larger picture and provide responses so that their position as a consumer is to be content.

Convergence.

The different types of media and its platforms have found out a way to quickly merge together small details into one product. A cellphone is a great example in this way of merging to create a simpler yet more effective device. Cellphones are now not only used for communication purposes but can also be a computer, television with full HD qualities, GPS, even a gaming device. This technology advancement has created a positive reach towards advertising and marketing in the business strategy because of its ability to melt everything together. Convergence has become a fundamental purpose for companies who seek to remain cost-effective yet applicable at the same time for a greater impact.

We see different videos of “the future” like the video shown below about the transformations in society once convergence is used to the max capacity. Corning introduces the idea of “A Day Made of Glass” and depicts the simplicity from waking up to everyday life events. From architectural display glass to automotive display glass, this Corning inspired videos shows the interactive part with media with everyday duties done through glass alone. This video is a huge idea in how convergence will impact itself onto our society in the future. Convergence will be constantly trying to find ideas on how to merge different technological tools to make a simplified yet applicable single device.

Technology and storytelling have become a way of life in our society. Kevin Spacey, an Academy Winner suggests that “it’s all about the story.” He believes that the story is what is important and is what keeps the audiences. He explains how “the camera doesn’t care what platform it’s recording for” (Spacey) but rather the story within it. This explains the intersection of technology and storytelling; as of now, it’s important for viewers to receive a mind-blowing type of powerful stories rather than wonder which platform it will come from. In this, it can be shown that it does not matter which platform has more importance but discusses the importance of a greater story that can be told within different platforms.

                                                                                                        I wonder what will happen next. 

In regards to our knowledge of the past and experiences from the past, we have a greater advantage towards the goals in convergence. We now know what may happen and what can actually happen within the upcoming years to come. Similar to what Steven Johnson wrote in the Sleeper Curve how he believes “that the Sleeper Curve is the single most important new force altering the mental development of young people today, and I believe that it is largely a force for good: enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing them down” (Johnson 2). We can force the future as a society where convergence will literally engulf society and break everything down into a single device that can empower cellphones. We can see children in classrooms full of smart touch screens without a standard typical chalkboard and textbooks. We can see students coming to class but without actually leaving their room because of futuristic ideals. We can see glass empowered technology where we surround ourselves with touch screens. We can also believe that whatever we may be thinking about may not happen because of our “ideal” futuristic motives. No one knows the future, however, one thing is for sure, convergence with media and society will never die out but only grow stronger within the upcoming years. We can get in the game by allowing change to happen and to accept society as it is, maybe in 2020 the commercial that may seem like a “dream life” may come true, who knows? But till then, we can begin to prepare ourselves mentally of what more convergence can give us.

Work Cited 

Johnson, Steven. Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making       Us Smarter. New York: Riverhead, 2005. Online.

"Kevin Spacey on the Intersection of Technology, Storytelling and Humanity." SapientNitro Blog.            Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://sapientnitroblog.com/post/99067698462>.

"| Nintendo - Corporate Information | Company History." | Nintendo - Corporate Information |                  Company History. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nintendo.com/corp/history.jsp>.

Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass                              Communication. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.

Heewon Kim

Professor Cacoilo 

Convergence 

25 November 2014