MEDIA CONVERGENCE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

                                                                                  

                Media convergence occurs around the world. Media convergence refers to the removal of entry barriers at various intersections of media technologies, industries, content and audiences. According to the “ Media Convergence : A case study of a cable news station” (2017) from The International Journal on Media Management written by J Sonia Huang and Don Heider, media convergence is happening around the world. They found that media convergence still has a long way to go which means that media convergence has a long journey to develop and grow. Multiple forms of media convergence lead us toward a digital renaissance which means a period of transition and transformation that will affect all aspects in human lives such as works or daily activities. According to an article of media convergence (2013) written by Terry Flew, media convergence is a phenomenon that involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer networks and lastly media content. In addition, media convergence also transforms in established industries, services and work practices.

According to an online article of media convergence (2014) by Mike Gasher , media convergence is a term that can be refer to either :

1.       The merging of previously distinct which is media technologies and media forms due to digitization and computer networking , OR

2.       An economic strategy in which the media properties owned by communications companies employ digitization and computer networking to work together.

According to the newspaper online which is The Star Online ( 2014 ) written by Daljit Dhesi, media convergence is the main driver of change in the media planning industry. According to Carat Media Services Malaysia (M) Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Bala Pomaleh by his email that media convergence is an ongoing and evolutionary process. He said that media convergence is generally fuelled by broadband infrastructure and mobile penetration of a country and about 67% of Malaysian homes are now broadband enable. Mobile penetration is about 143% while smartphone penetration is at 37%. Bala Pomaleh also said that Malaysia is fairly developed which is fuelling media convergence.

DIAGRAM 1

Diagram 1 shows that media convergence is include communication, computing, and content.

In media convergence, there are five major elements that take places whish are the technological, the industrial, the social, the textual and the political.

1.1  Communication Technology Application

Communication technology application is under social or organic convergence. According to an online article “Social Convergence” (2010) written by Gary Fox, social convergence is just a part of technological that is changing on the way people communicate to each other, how people find and understand about the world around us and how they learn about it. In addition, these technologies create new and exciting ways to understand and to market to customer or technology’s user.

Basically social convergence means when certain media can do multiple tasking or media stacking which mean users are using many different forms of media in one time. For example, writing a presentation while listening to movie and checking on new massage on Facebook or WhatsApp Web.

2.0 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MEDIA CONVERGENCE

                Media convergence helps in developing of technology from single task to multiple tasking but in reality everything has its own advantages and disadvantages that can affect users.

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
·         Portable	·         People lack of skill to take full advantage of new media especially old people and disable people.
·         Cheap	·         The rapidly changing of technology has obstructed audience’s activities
·         Quick	·         Job losses
·         Easier to access	·         Expensive to buy – smartphone/tablets
·         Reliable	·         4G is a fast mobile data that available in some country but not in India
·         More information	·         Information is overload and they can be overwhelmed and find it difficult
·         Varity choice	·         Technology can be complicated to use especially to old people and disable people
·         The growth in technology	·         Financial problem for those from the poor family.
·         Develop Creative Media Industry	·         Lack of privacy and personal information
·         Easier to connect with audiences	·         Risk of hacking
·         More interactive	·         Addicted to technology
·         Advertising	·         Detached from reality
·         Built community between different media
·         Don’t have to carry lots of equipment

2.1 STATISTIC OF TIME SPENT IN DIGITAL MEDIA

            2.1.1 TIME SPENT FROM MEDIA TO DIGITAL

               

2.1.2 TIME SPENT PER DAY FROM 2008 TO 2010

3.0 IMPACT

            3.1 SOCIETY

                                According to an online article “What is Media Convergence? How Does it Affect the Society?” (2018) by Techspirited explained that media convergence is something that impacts society, and such has become as the way of life. First people started only written letter, then processed one step to the typewriter, followed by the Fax and email and now people used instant messenger to send video, voice or image. The pinnacle of convergence would be where an illuminated graphical figure would pop out of people’s gadgets to deliver a massage, a mail, orally or image. According to online article “Impact Of Media Convergence On Society” (2016) by Martins Erauyi, media convergence cause people being addicted to checking their email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They have being addictive behavior which has become the way of life, in which users nowadays might not be able to be useful or functional without some sort of technology such as smartphone.

                                In addition, media convergence can cause cybersex addiction. Cybersex addiction is happen when compulsive use of Internet in pornography, sexting, nude-swapping, or adult messaging services. This can impact negatively on your real-life intimate relationships and overall emotional health.

                                Media convergence will make society addicted with their gadgets and built anti-social environment with the surrounding. People will busy with their smartphone, tablets or laptop doing their works and they were like lives in their own world. This has become quite sad when less face-to-face time with people and more time with technology. People choose to use the internet, phone, text, video chat, and e-mail to communicate with others rather than face to face communication or in other words called interpersonal communication, which definitely takes a lot of the intimacy out of true communication. They also usually use their gadget during work, eating, families gathering or during driving.

                Based on this statistic, there’s a huge different between uses of basic and smartphone. Users tend to use smartphone during driving for making hand-held calls and using GPS or navigation system that leads to an accident.

3.2 EDUCATION STUDENT

                        3.2.1 POSITIVE IMPACT

                                Student don’t have to carry books or paper where ever they go because by using smartphone, tablets or laptop, student can easily access to their notes, assignment and notepad. They also can do their assignment or quizzes anytime and anywhere as long as there has Internet connection. This is because nowadays education, everything can be access easily by using smartphone. Lecturers and teachers usually uploaded their notes to the online learning or lecturer corner. Student can only download notes and exercise from the online learning and read through the smartphone or laptop screen.

                                In addition, student can easily discuss on their assignment due to their ability to access to the Internet through instant messenger such as WhatsApp or Telegram. They also can share their information in form of image or voice notes to their friends.

                                                      The biggest use of media convergence such as a computer and laptop for education students is that they can join online programs. Many students are taking online classes from their home and hostel. Students are connecting with teachers by

using video conferencing application and devices such as Skype. Students with the use of a computer and laptop can get information and knowledge from multiple sources.

                3.2.2 NEGATIVE IMPACT

                                Media convergence gives negative impact to student where they can easily access YouTube and other websites. While doing their assignment, student can easily being interrupt by notification from instant messenger or they will not focusing on their assignment, so they will do multiple tasking such as watching movie, listen to the music or playing online game in one time. At the end, assignment cannot be done according to the dateline.

                                Secondly, the negative impact is student will involve with bad habit activities such as sexual harassment or hacking due to the ability of technology that make student easily to do that. For example of sexual harassment, student uses the ability of their gadgets such as video calling to disturbing other student by calling in the midnight. Second example of hacking is student tend to use their gadgets to hacking examination result in school’s system or hacking on school internet for self-interest.

4.0 CAN WE BE FREE OF TRAPS IN THESE 3 SCREENS OF MODERN LIFE?

               

1)    TV SCREEN

Yes, because people nowadays can live without TV due to their busy lifestyle. When they can live without TV, its means they can be free from TV screen. For example for parents who has their own career. They spend their time more on their jobs and most of them spend from early in the morning until late of night doing their job. They return home just to rest their body and sleep at night. During weekend, they often to spend their holidays with family and friends at cinema, shopping mall, bowling center or they went for a holiday trip.

Second, most of teenager went to boarding school which will place them in hostel. For example for student who staying in the hostel, they cannot watch TV at their hostel due to no television is provided for them. For a long period, they can get accept that no TV screen in their daily activities.

2)    LAPTOP / COMPUTER SCREEN

No, because people nowadays use laptop in their daily life. They might stay in front of laptop/computer screen for several hours until their work or assignment has be done. They also use laptop/computer for paying bills, doing works, searching for information, watching movies, listen to music, and their use laptop to save their data and their works in it. The use of a computer/laptop in daily life can save our time. The computer/laptop also saves money in our daily home life. Such as if you have a computer or laptop at home, you don’t need to buy DVD player to watch movies and to listen to songs. You can watch movies online through computer/laptop. In addition, you don’t need to go cyber cafe to print notes. All this kind of small works can be done at home. This is because by using computer or laptop at home can save our money, time and also provide entertainment and various ways to pass time.

According to an online article “Top 10 Uses of Computer in Our Daily Life” written by VIJAY SHARMA in NOVEMBER 2, 2016,  in early days when the first mechanical computer invented by Charles Babbage, it was used only to control the business system and speed up the business process But today everything is controlled and managed by computers. Without computers, work cannot be done perfectly. This is because businesses and companies are using a computer for marketing and business planning, they also use a it to record customer data and  to manage goods and services.

3.0 SMARTPHONE SCREEN

No, because smartphone is important in daily life. Smartphones are so important these days due to the connectivity that they provide. This isn’t just improvements in phone calls and text messaging only but there are also the number of connectivity options available. Through smartphone, people can access Facebook and other social networking sites such as Twitter and Telegram easily.

                Next, smartphone can be so efficiency. The speed of doing tasks on a smartphone is almost unparalleled. In fact, using smartphone may even be faster than using computers. The size of a smartphone makes it almost like a miniature computer and people can carry it everywhere.

With smartphone, people can store important data such as files, information and details on their phone. You can download several application if when you might want to do online banking, check out the nearest coffee shops in your area or find out the best places to park.

Moreover, smartphones can give people to access to the latest entertainment. Instead of having laptop around with them on long train journeys they can now amuse themself with their smartphone. They can get ahold of the latest music, movies and TV shows on your smartphone with ease. With all this benefits of smartphone make people always tick around with their smartphone and they always scroll over their smartphone screen.

4.0 CONCLUSION

Media convergence helps user doing their daily activities more success and become easier.  Media convergence is a phenomenon of transforming the way of media content. For example, content media is now accessible regardless of geographical boundaries, anytime, anywhere and however they want it. Now, one tool gives user the opportunity to communicate with others while functioning as a computer on which user can view and edit content, whereas before the development of technology, people need multiple devices to accomplish each task individually.  For example, a smartphone that also can process on how users create, consume, and distribute media.

Media convergence has change the way people receive data. Before this, people getting a news report from newspaper or TV, now we can get the same news report from a television station by the way of internet and social media. Communication and technology are two areas where convergence gives impact. The impact can be seen through the development of smartphone, television and laptop where smartphone used as movies player, television can connected with the internet and laptop can be a gaming station.