It’s interesting to sit and think about the idea of media convergence, or when different kinds of media combine or switch, and how it has become more and more common as technology advances.
There are every day places where we can find convergence happening such as: commuters on the subway watching films on their iPhones, catching people reading on Kindles in the park, and seeing drivers getting the best driving directions from their GPS system. I didn’t realize it until I sat down to write this blog that when I go to the gym, media convergence is also running rampant! On the treadmill, elliptical machine, and stationary bikes television stations and iPod connections are available (which in my own personal experience, is way more entertaining than staring at a wall while sweating like a pig!) I suppose one gets used to such luxuries in technology that they sometimes are overlooked or go unnoticed.
When considering the purpose of media convergence, it all comes down to making media accessible and building stronger communicational ties with others both locally and internationally. The advancement in these convergences has definite upsides and downsides.
Some positives to current day media convergences are the ability to bring people together to share information – for example via Skype. One person can be on the opposite side of the Earth as another, yet they are able to converse and see each other. Convergence also gives smaller, less accessible topics, people, and social issues different platforms to be shown – for example underrepresented news topics shown on YouTube or on independent, online journals.
Some of the downsides are found in convergence's potential to lessen human contact and make such common, everyday items like books, obsolete. It’s definitely hard to tell in which direction media convergence will go, but it does appear that the pros outweigh the cons, especially if it allows the exchange of ideas, better resources for education, and exposure to otherwise unknown global issues.
