Week 5: Convergence Culture

So I find myself 12 hours before deadline asking myself what is convergence culture. For that immediate moment my mind went blank so I had to rediscover some notes that I prepared.  Convergence culture is the understanding of the relationship between technology and us. It most focus point is more on how we integrate technology into our immediate lives how we experience and use devices in this new and exciting digital age. It is the unpredictability of interaction with technology that has become so fascinating. In the past we used many different media outlets such as films, games, music, television and many more. It is only now and in the many several few years have we seen such an explosion of these media outlets that we can identify the swift change media integration.

Trans-media has becoming exceptionally import in influencing our day to day life. We no longer have to rely on different technologies to give us specific media. With the development of mobile technologies such as the cellular phone, the iPod and the laptop we can now get it all almost anytime and anywhere. On our phones we can now listen to music, read the news, browse the web and email never has so much media has been accessible from one singular mobile device before. As far as old and new is put in to consideration single media platforms were always limited to one single audience.

 With the development of media we see the old material being used and recreated or redeveloped into something new. For example marvel comics’ Spiderman was firstly created for those with interest in comic book. Later on with the demand and interest rise an animated series was produced to recreate the material while making it available to a wider audience. As Spiderman became more popular video game were created and then followed with film the extended to the great audience.

The evolution of media has increased the viewing and interaction of media. Not only are people enjoying media but they are beginning to produce media themselves. Creating media has become much easier and accessing media tools and equipment has become less challenging to use than before. Films are now being made by anyone with camera audio can be edited and produced with little effort. Consumers have the foot in the door and have taken more control in what is being developed. The minimum specifications have been augmented and demand has become more direct. As social media has been a front runner in the change with the arrival of social sites such YouTube and MySpace. A new age platform for media has become very instrumental on how consumers access media.

The thing that has become evident is that we rely on these technologies and in the future it seems we will become more reliant. As far as we can assume we understand in ten year time the way we integrate ourselves could change dramatically once aging impacting our live more interactively and possibly virtually.