What I took away in reading about convergence was the inevitability of change, and how we navigate those transitions. Convergence is the new generation thinking of functionality that meets the technological needs still present in a more efficient and flexible capacity. The “New Orleans Media Experience” itself was a reflection of convergence where the public met the experts to bridge the divide, and turns into a giant technological brainstorming. Fascinating.
As I read more deeply, I found myself returning to the question, “Is convergence the act of the horse pulling the cart, or the cart pulling the horse?” It seems to me, that there is a dance of sorts between the two. This thought is supported by Jenkins claim that, “convergence refers to a process, not an endpoint” (16). It is easy to see this as technological growth itself is a process. If you stop, you lose; or in Jenkins words, “Producers who fail to make their peace with this new participating culture will face declining goodwill and diminishing revenues” (24).
I was reminded of convergence, and Jenkins example of how we watch television has changed. When I was watching an Amazon Studios series called The Last Tycoon. Not only does the fact that Amazon, a streaming on-demand way of viewing television, portray the point of moving from mass television and renting dvd’s, etc., the content of the show was a reflection of convergence. The series portrays Hollywood past, before the days of unions and legalities that took away the power of the corporate machine that was in place, and also reduced the amount of abuse that was accepted as expected. The people voiced their needs, and battled toward a process that better suited humanity.
As discussed in Jenkins book, convergence is a democratic process that offers the people with vested interest to participate in the direction that their technology of their choice proceeds. Yes, there are limitations to the amount of influence that that consumer can wield, but it is a far cry from the days of Hollywood. Jenkins “argued that convergence encourages participation and collective intelligence” (256), and collaborating to ensure that the media and technology work for the people, and not just the inverse is the way of the future. It is the right direction.
Works Cited
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press, 2006.
the question you point to here, about how much more (or different kinds of) influence the average consumer can have now in the time of new media, seems like a major theme for many of our readings. our technologies now allow much different kinds of participation in culture. how do we (and those around us) use that opportunity? are we using it well? will we know right away whether we are using it well or not?