“Media convergence is the process in which formerly separate technologies and/or media forms merge together to accommodate new technologies” (Dwyer, 2010). Dwyer presents a valid argument in this reading, asserting that the media and communications industries are no longer dictated by analogue means of broadcasting and publishing, but rather digital media such as the Internet and social networking. The changing dominance of such media platforms has resulted in a transformation of the social, cultural and technological landscapes of everyday life, however the consequences of these modifications must be validated against their repurcussions on the way people interact with others.
However, some may argue that these devices are now overshadowing their original purposes, provoking negative consequences which may outbalance the positive characteristics of convergence. Take the mobile phone, for example. This formerly-simple device was once used solitarily for making calls to others, providing mobile communication. Nowadays, the mobile phone has become a hub for interactive games, applications, messaging and even 'surfing the Internet', leaving little space for face-to-face communication. This has consequently led to the degradation of human relationships and communicative skills, evidenced in society's reliance on the device. People have become so consumed by these convergent media, that they choose to live their lives behind computer monitors and mobile screens, preferring to use these to communicate with others and hence, surpassing the technologies' original purpose- to assist.
In saying this, convergence does imply benefits for society. Rather, it is the balance between use of these devices which must be implemented to ensure they complete their ability to assist people without dominating reality away from the pixelated medium.
The power of technological advancements and the consequent increases of media platforms and delivery modes have fuelled the movement from traditional or analogue to digital media forms, hence underlining the process of convergence through ongoing social, cultural and technological change. Analogue media is now accessible both online and on mobile devices, with society no longer relying on television and the newspaper. Rather, their digital counterparts, social networking, websites and mobile phones, are utilised to receive news and communicate with others. These media forms provide accessibility to a wide array of services, not only accommodating for basic needs, but providing ease to users by simultaneously offering them once-singular function technologies. New modes of access including those outlined, have, and are continuing to redefine social and cultural norms and procedures. This is convergence in practice.
However, some may argue that these devices are now overshadowing their original purposes, provoking negative consequences which may outbalance the positive characteristics of convergence. Take the mobile phone, for example. This formerly-simple device was once used solitarily for making calls to others, providing mobile communication. Nowadays, the mobile phone has become a hub for interactive games, applications, messaging and even 'surfing the Internet', leaving little space for face-to-face communication. This has consequently led to the degradation of human relationships and communicative skills, evidenced in society's reliance on the device. People have become so consumed by these convergent media, that they choose to live their lives behind computer monitors and mobile screens, preferring to use these to communicate with others and hence, surpassing the technologies' original purpose- to assist.
In saying this, convergence does imply benefits for society. Rather, it is the balance between use of these devices which must be implemented to ensure they complete their ability to assist people without dominating reality away from the pixelated medium.
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