Digital Media - Critical Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Digital Media - Critical Perspectives - Essay Example Firstly, we will examine the various definitions of media convergence, and then proceed to assess the forms of convergence. Secondly, we will look at its impacts and then give a conclusion. It is pertinent, before we examine the various definitions that have been advanced in favor of the term media convergence, that we understand the term new media. New media refers to the modern technological advancements that have been realized in the technology and media world. It may refer to the processes, the applications, the methodologies, or the physical gadgets. Smartphones and iPads are therefore seen as gadgets that are representative of the new media notion while applications such as social media are also perceived as new media. What then is media convergence? The term media convergence is ambiguous. This is because it denotes a wide range of meanings and cannot be said to have a strict textbook meaning (Tim, 2010). As such, various authors and scholars have advanced several definitions of the concept. Media convergence, according to Richard Gershon, can be defined as the merging together of media which were previously autonomous or distinct to create a new media dispensation (Brown, 2005). It basically means bringing together various technological platforms into one media platform. These technological platforms include software applications such as animations, the internet, and new technologies such as the Smartphone technology. Media convergence in the new media environment can also be defined as the piecing together, or the interlinking, of computing and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). It is also defined as the synchronizing of media content that has existed since the internet came into existence, digitalization of information technology, and remodeling of old media into a format that is new (Tim, 2010). In the above definitions, convergence is understood as the bringing