Project Update

Ok so my project seems to be making some type of sense. To be completely honest this has NOT been easy. For a while , practically the whole semester has been dedicated to research and investigating. The problem I ran into was figuring out what to do with this overload of information and how to channel my thoughts.However I think I figured all out and made the right choice.

So I decided to write a paper. This project is not just a typical class project for me. I really wanted to start something that can be beneficial for the future. This project is just the beginning of something I want to do in the future after I establish myself and have money and power. I feel the paper would be a good way to express my purpose and to layout my plan of action. I also think this would be good to look back at and refer to when the time calls for it. I would be able to look back at my mindset of today and compare it to later.

I'm not sure how long the paper will be.It's like a mixture of my beliefs, my plan ,and factual information. So far I have started the paper with just information about Newark , food deserts, Newark as a food desert. This is something like a blueprint/ a proposal for social change.

During my research I figure out how to create social change. Although it's small, I made a blog to somewhat replicate websites of organizations  I was inspired by. The blog is the "fun" part. It has lots of pictures of me around the city. On the blog I'm basically trying to make Newark seem appealing and show the positives of it instead of the negatives.  Also I use it to point out how Newark is treated like a "stepchild".Also the blog has helped me gain more creativity and helped me become a better blogger. Before this class I was not into blogging at all , so it took me a while to get the hang of it (still am struggling a little) but I really like it alot.

I think this project is just a minor step to something great and meaningful. I have grown a passion for justice and giving back. I really plan to change Newark whether it happens withing the next 5 years or 20 , its going to happen. This project has opened me up and has guided me towards something I really want to do and has made the future seem a little clear and closer.This is me just talking about it , and later I will work on it.

We Are the Remote

The future of convergence is obviously always changing. To sum up the future of convergence and to even think about it you have to also think about the changes in technology, media, and society. All of those things are what make up 'convergence'. Therefore the future of convergence is totally in "our" hands.

The  "makers" are just as smart as we are. What is given to us is what we ask for so to speak. The makers produce what we ask for or imply. We do our own storytelling through what Marshall McLuhan would call the global village. For example when things go viral and become popular, that now becomes a symbol or representation of what the majority finds to be compelling. 

For example the trend of violence has been something that the 'makers' have played on to capture or attention for a while now. Shows, games,movies,music I have notice have become more violent as the years go by. The less and less sensitive we are to violence the more gory and racy the productions get. They study us. They are becoming more and more aware of what consumers really gravitate towards beyond standard demographics such as age or gender , they dig deep. 

Since the makers are getting to know us better and better it is our job to not let our own future go to crap. For example alot of people complain about reality T.V  saying its dumb and pointless yet the rating just keep going up, therefore the more "stupidity" we get. The same can be said for music, it changes based on what people are into. 

Life seems to be nothing more than one big trend. Just like there is a trend of fashion there is a trend of media. I still struggle with this question : Do we shape the media or does media shape us? However , I feel like I maybe getting closer to the answer. We are the ones that give the consumers the mold , however it's in our power to yay or nay. 

Convergence Journalism: a Look at the Future

by Kristine Villanueva



photo courtesy of colum.com

The future of journalism and the future of convergence go hand in hand. Journalism will become more technologically based. Newspapers and other print media will continue on several different platforms and mediums. Print companies will not only utilize social media, but will also produce more videos. Therefore, the word "convergence" may be obsolete in coming years - it will become the norm.

Transmedia storytelling is a prime example of how media is moving forward in convergence culture. Although used mostly as marketing schemes, journalists will also harvest the potential of transmedia storytelling to better a reader's experience of news consumption. Whether advertising agencies like Droga5 will engage audiences to read the New York Times (which will exist on the web), or print companies will publish stories on several different platforms, transmedia will not be a dying art . Henry Jenkins agrees in that transmedia is more than a marketing ploy. He writes on Fast Company, that it is a myth to be debunked.

He says, "yes, many early transmedia experiments were funded through marketing budgets. Transmedia has been closely linked to the industry's new focus on "audience engagement" and sometimes uses "viral" (or "spreadable") media strategies. But, the best transmedia is driven by a creative impulse. Transmedia allows gifted storytellers to expand their canvas and share more of their vision with their most dedicated fans."


The future of journalism and media will rely heavily on welding creativity and storytelling. I believe that since society has become image oriented, creativity will be placed on visual appeal and aesthetics that will enhance journalistic storytelling. But the future of convergence affects more than just journalism. 



photo courtesy of blog.playmob.com

During her Ted Talk presentation, Jane McGonigal said, "three thousand hours of game play is not nearly enough to solves the world's problems." McGonigal believes that by learning how to solve problems in games, people will be able to do the same in real life. Interestingly enough, McGonigal's theory also overlaps in transmedia. In Fast Company Jenkins also tries to debunk the notion that transmedia only pertains to gaming. 

He says, "The rise of alternate reality games coupled with mass media properties is part of what's generating excitement here. Transmedia properties combine cultural attractors (which draw together a highly invested audience) and cultural activators (which gives that audience something to do). Games are a good way to give your fans something to do, but they are by no means the only model out there." 

Although McGonigal would say that gaming means much more than interaction, Jenkins is also correct in saying that it's an aspect about gaming that people enjoy. Likewise, journalists of the future must also learn how to harvest interactive techniques to keep their audience engaged. Many movies, books, games, and TV shows have done this already. I believe news can also become interactive, especially with social media and the internet as a primary tool. 



photo by sixpack.cz 

I think I can dive into the future of journalism by mixing informational "vegetables" with informational "desert". I agree with Steven Johnson's Sleeper Curve theory in that, people learn even when they're unaware. By making hard news interesting, either through writing, visuals, or humor, people will continue to be educated. 

The future of convergence is still uncertain. However, in a vast and ever changing mediascape, the only way to shape the future is through innovation and creativity. 

Future of Convergence

The future of convergence is in the hands of marketing. As different platforms of media and technology merge together they are aimed at mass production. As technology advances, with phones, computer, tablets and etc, each is aiming at convenience, portability, and interactivity. With those three being the focus of how technology advances it solely relies on convergence. With convergence and technology coming together this is the perfect recipe for great ways to easily market to the public and get the attention of way more consumers.

We have noticed that when technology was on the rise, each device served a specific purpose. A phone was used for calling and texting. A computer was used for web surfing, and creating various documents. A console was used for games. Now with the rise of convergence everything is being merged into one. This plays on convenience. Transmedia storytellng is on the rise and the consumers are demanding more because of it. Every-time something is produced, consumers expect that they will be able to get it in every form possible, they want to take full advantage of multimedia and the availability of products.

"Over the years we have invented many technical devices, mobile technology, television and computer technology being the most important and effective to our lifestyle. These individual technical devices are now evolving into one another. For example mobile technology now offers new possibilities and has merged with television and computer technology. We have gone from just phoning people to communicate to texting, messaging such as Facebook and twitter, Imessage and Blackberry Messenger and the more recently Whatsapp, which enables you to Imessage and Blackberry Message people. Using the internet, watching television on your phone and news applications, nowadays instead of picking up a newspaper or waiting for the news on the television or radio, you can look at it straight away on your phone by just entering an application such as the BBC News application on my phone. Games, emailing, photography, video-recording and it has now even evolved in 3D technology." (http://mconvergence.wordpress.com/) 

       Mobile phones can now be used as a HDTV,  play games, create documents and surf the web. It is basically like a computer, so we have to question what is the importance of having a computer. Which then brings us to the question is convergence and technology beneficial or is it going to eventually make for bad business for other companies.

The possible negative affect of convergence is that we will be limited to one handheld device, for example just a tablet to produce all out necessary needs. Yet the better side of convergence is that we will have everything we need in one place. I am pro convergence, for the simple fact that we all strive for convenience and order. How can one complain about having a phone that gives access to almost everything and can be easily brought everywhere.

As for marketing, it helps to merge brands and major companies. PR, business, content, and public affairs are now working under the same roof. They work together to help increase the advancement of technology, and sales. With the help of convergence it makes it that much easier for transmedia and storytelling. With the future of convergence companies are looking at more than just how they can get a product out, but how they can get a product out on as many platforms as possible. Currently when a product  is produced, they then have it as a game, an app, in retail, film, television, books, and other novelty items. That is the future of convergence. "Instead of a product having to work with individual companies. on the other hand, defines convergence as ‘flow of content across multiple media platforms’, suggesting that media audiences nowadays play a crucial role in creating and distributing content, and convergence therefore has to be examined in terms of social, as well as technological changes within the society. According to Jenkins, media convergence is an ongoing process that should not be viewed as a displacement of the old media, but rather as interaction between different media forms and platforms" (Jenkins)

We should expect that with convergence technology will be implemented everywhere, although we may think where else can it be, it is already everywhere. However there is still room technology. Like in the video we watched, we can expect that technology will be in more classrooms, it will help children with education and learning, putting them a step ahead for the future. We could also implement video based lessons in school and games that also help kids to learn. It will also be a good idea for games to help elderly learn things about the new generation and this could help to bridge the gap between the generations and technology. 

Sources :
Convergence Culture, Henry Jenkins

Forbes

TED Talk

Links: http://www.mobitv.com/converged-media-platform/
http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_hirshberg_on_tv_and_the_web.html
http://www.com.miami.edu/car/columbia03.pdf
http://www.rmes.nl/call-for-papers-media-convergence-2013/

The Future of Convergence

Media has overcome drastic changes over the several decades. Print ruled the journalism world for many years until technology became more advanced and accessible to every individual. As of right now, we are living in an age where the news as well as music, fashion, sports, etc are right at our fingertips. I'm sure one could not predict the accessibly of all this 50 years ago. The future of convergence depends on the willingness of today's youth and media professionals to create new platforms in which we all communicate with other. Maybe the future of media will have many different outcomes.

The future may contain more complex video games. Game designer and author Jane McGonigal argued in her case study Why I Love Bees that video games can teach collective intelligence. Her studies "advocates the use of mobile and digital technology to channel positive attitudes and collaboration in a real world context". She focuses on the way collective intelligence in alternate reality games can be used as a means for improving the quality of human life. Author Steven Johnson wrote in his 2005 book Everything Bad is Good For You about how popular culture is making us smarter, denouncing Neil Postman's theory that pop culture is dumbing down society. According to Johnson, video games now involved more critical thinking and we should give today's kids more credit. Video games have definitely involved over the years. Maybe the future contain video games with much more complexity to the point where beating a certain level in a game can determine the intelligence of a individual.

The future of media may just have a negative impact on society. MIT professor and author Sherry Turkle discussed the loss of human connection due to our online personas and personal devices in her 2011 book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. She describes us as "sociable robots". Over the years, we have been more in-tuned with our laptops and smart phones then we are to each other. She began her 2012 TED Talk titled "Connected, but alone" discussing the text message she received from her daughter describing how that message was the equilvalent to a hug from her daughter. 

According to Turkle, communication devices change what we do as well as who we are. We have a fear of being alone and treat it as an illness. We need to be comfortable with being alone. In the future, this can possibly grow. Computing devices will replace actual humans in certain jobs. They are already replacing cashiers at certain supermarkets. Maybe we will stop partying, going out to eat, and social activities and stay at home creating and revamping our online personnas to only digitally connect with others.

The future of convergence cannot be determined as of now but it has involved greatly over the decades. Advanced technology has changed media as great deal positively and negatively. With today's media, we can assume what is ahead of us and we cannot know what is coming because media will continue to evolve day by day.

Sherry Turkle- TED Talk
Jane McGonigal- Why I Love Bees

Digital Lifestyle

Brian Solis is a well-known digital analyst, keynote speaker, and bestselling author.

In Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication, Third Edition, authors John V. Pavlik and Shawn McIntosh have quoted Joseph Pulitzer: "Our republic and its press will rise and fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself. The power to mould the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations" (McIntosh 464).

Transparency and more dialog will be  be crucial in the future of convergence. How media interacts with the public and how the new forms of media -social networks, citizen journalism techniques, and new technological advances -will be modified and used to educate and spread awareness, is the future of convergence. More facebook revolutions, twitter protests, and Instagram creations, will rise but literacy will also grow with the understanding of how these outlets can present a positive change in society.

The Future of Converging MEDIA; Photo credit Baheth Center

Hashem Bajwa a product builder and a brand designer, that goes by the slogan 'Flying Forward', strongly believes that one should not limit oneself -but ironically believes that constraints are positive. "Having good problems and good tools, at the same time paying attention to the execution of media and using what you have and the present day media outlets" is key. The future of convergence is simple which is a real complex thing -it's when storytelling drives the media and the media becomes the story.
Collaborations, new innovations, using basic technology to create something out of the box is the future. He's the perfect example how government experience with the experience of branding can come together for the future of convergence and media collaborations.

Social Media REVOLUTION 

Convergence of media will come down to the basics of what technology can do or assist with, agenda setting and political action are basics. In the chapter, "Photoshop for Democracy" from Convergence Culture, Henry Jenkins says "The new media operate with different principles than the broadcast media that dominated American politics for so long: access, participation, reciprocity, and peer-to-peer rather than one-to-many communication. Given such principles, we should anticipate that digital democracy will be decentralized unevenly dispersed, profoundly contradictory and slow to emerge" (Jenkins). Incorporating examples such as grassroots and base mobilization.  The future of media is moving away from passive technology such as television.

Distributing information will in turn distribute power which is the future of convergence and society as a whole. "For democracy to function there needs to be social contract between participants and a sense their actions have consequence within the community." In turn we need to deliberate together for mutual understanding and worldly collaboration. Tim Berners-Lee the creator of the World Wide Web, has said, "The web is more a social operation than a technical one. I designed it for a social effect -to help people work together -and not as a technical toy" -from Weaving The Web -a paper that outlined what the WWW was.

LINKS

How Twitter will revolutionise academic research and teaching

"The convergence of digital media and technology, under way since the dawn of the Internet, will accelerate. Distinctions between old and new media will fade; most media will be digital. Mobile devices, already the preferred media and Internet platform for many people, will continue to proliferate. We may wear them on our bodies or weave them into our clothing."

BIBLO

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture, Where Old And New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press, 2008. Print.

McIntosh, Shawn, and John Pavlik. Converging media: A new introduction to mass communication. 3. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc, 2011. Print.

Walking Among Giants

The future of convergence is something people are prepared for, but have yet to to comprehend how to handle. Content producers, especially, have the tools at their disposal; but are constant under pressure to adapt because how fast technology is advancing and users are finding new ways to view content. Adapting, however, is not a terrible thing as it forces traditional content producers (i.e. CBS, ESPN, NPR, etc.) to stay on their toes and continue to find new ways to reach their respective audience. Now, users have the opportunity to become content producers themselves. They are in position to be one step ahead of the media giants because they see things from the ground level.

BuzzFeed..."the viral web in realtime"

Hashem Bajwa's experience with the Jay Z Decoded: Campaign with Bing placed a tombstone over the traditional media template's grave. Here's a joint campaign where his team could have simply made separate sets of advertisements. Instead, they used the strengths of both brands and their industries to work off of each other. Bing had the financial capital and the greater potential to reach the masses because of the significant role search engines play in various landscapes. Jay Z is one of the most influential figures in pop culture, but books have a tendency to fall by the waist-side in terms of spotlight capital. Bajwa created a synergistic campaign. It wasn't just a book and search engine launch, but a partnership between tow unlikely giants that found a way to share the land and still win.

Two giants share the land

One of the reasons the Decoded campaign succeeded was the street credibility of Jay Z and Microsoft in their respective industries. This is where the common user is at a disadvantage. They do, however, posses tools that are a lot more powerful than the messages transmitted across them. In Marshall Mcluhan's 1977 lecture: The Medium is the Message, he discuses how the medium has much more pull than the individual pieces of content displayed upon them. Twitter, alone, is a simple micro-blogging tool. It allows users to share messages consisting of 140 characters or less along with pictures and videos with each other. A recent video has the internet abuzz about a young girl named Sharkeisha. The video displays Sharkeisha punching another girl in the face for reasons concerning a boy. The confrontation alone isn't signification as it only concerns those in the video and in the immediate area, but it Twitter as a tool has allowed the video to be blown into grand proportions. It's the tool's ability to reach a lot more than one individual can. This is a lot of power at the disposal of the common man. Power Shift.

People won't know the future until it hits them that the future is already occurring. And that's through the children. Children are and always will be the future. The education is system in America, is rather archaic. Kids simply are not in the best position to succeed if they're being taught passively. That is teacher tells them something and they nod their head in agreement. Slowly, but surely they are being taught actively in which they must apply the knowledge taught to them through projects. They are understanding at a young age that they can be and most likely will be content producers. 

The future is a toss up for media professionals. Optimistically, professionals and users alike will able to co-exist seamlessly. Shirky stated that “the web makes interactivity technologically possible,” (p 91). And it's through this interactivity is where the sky is certainly the limit. 

Future of Convergence.

The future of convergence has been here all the time! It isn't something new, that media franchises want to create more and do so across platforms. "The spectacle is a permanent opium war designed to force people to equate goods with commodities and to equate satisfaction with a survival that expands according to its own laws." (Debord, Chapter 2, Sec 44)  We are addicted to being satisfied by getting new updates and getting surgeries to look a certain way or even buying something because it's the best of its kind. So if these companies say we need to learn more however only do so by getting this game or having to buy a book to see what is going on next in a world why not, we "need" it.

What companies should do in the future is more Transmedia storytelling I think that is where it is evolving to. We need interaction to a false world that we can feel apart of. The story unfolds "across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole." Jenkins talks about how Umberto Eco argues that a work must be a, "completely furnished world so that its fans can quote characters and episodes as if they were aspects of the private sectarian world." He also states that the work must be, "encyclopedic, containing a rich array of information that can be drilled, practiced, and mastered by devoted consumers." 

These films can provide resources that consumers can construct their own fantasies. If there is a movie such as Harry Potter or Star Wars and it creates this world where people can create fan fiction, and dive into a world, also it starts making comics and video games that expands that world even more beyond the main story line and I believe that is the future.

Speaking of video games, we learn from video games also, not learning how to kill and be drug dealers like in Grand Theft Auto but the undertone of critical thinking and business. In Everything Bad is Good for You,

Johnson states that, "For decades, we've worked under the assumption that mass cul­ture follows a path declining steadily toward lowest-common-denominator standards, presumably because the 'masses' want dumb,Simple pleas­ures and big media companies try to give the masses what they want. But, the exact opposite is happening: the culture is getting more cognitively demanding, not less." Since people will learn easier that way why not give it them exactly like that yet teaching them at the same time.

The future will only come from us also. Society now "replaces a previous professional function." Shirky states that the greatest change in intellectual landscape was invention of printing press which made made reading and writing valuable to a society as a whole. However this stopped this trait as being useful as a profession. In Clay Shirky's Everyone is a media outlet, he states “the scribe was the only bulwark against great intellectual loss... His function was indispensable, and his skills were irreplaceable” (Shirky, 67) Until everyone learned how to do it, so the job to do it isn't there anymore, thanks to mass amateurization and printing press started this idea which dates back to the 1400s. We will change the future by being the media producers and we can do it which such ease because of technology that it is scary. We are all not professionals but we can update a blog and with our ideologies and take photos and post them on instagram, even post videos on youtube to market ourselves that is as easy as clicking a button. 

With us creating the content easily whereever we want from our laptops to our cellphones, technology is only evolving. Then we are the one making advertisements and letting society know what they need and what they should buy, and not only are we telling them they should get updated items and need this we will put it across all platforms and they need to buy it all. Convergence is scary, but it has been here all the time since we started dipping are feet into other categories of media. With video games or just being interactive with something it is a greater learning experience all together. 

Convergence is Inevitable..So are Business Deals

The future of convergence is something that some will embrace and try to understand while others will curse and refuse to conform.  The good part about that idea is that the younger generation (Gen. Y) will have an opportunity to create a whole new world at a young age establishing a new criteria for how humans learn, play, interact and conduct business.

What some fear will be lost as a result of this new age transformation are the basic techniques and rituals we have all, up to this point, grown up with, which are: common communication skills, the now ancient idea of reading books and using a paper and pen to complete a math problem.  So it matters none if you are a technologist, or a content owner, or even a marketer in the end we are all affected as consumers of information and products.

With computer technology advancing by the second and gaming technology businesses paying attention to turning the young gamers into game creators, we can feel reassured that there is hope that our knowledge will advance further than ever before. Their advanced knowledge of technology at the rate it is advancing today will make them our future firm leaders tomorrow.

Advertising, marketing, branding, PR, public affairs, content, publishing, and business strategy companies and departments are all focusing in on staying ahead of the tide when it comes to convergence, according to Forbes online article, ‘Convergence is the Future of Marketing,’ in which the only way that they will be able to stay above the curve if they understand that,

“Convergence is key for firms wishing to remain profitable and successful when everyone is spending less and cutting costs and looking for greater, lasting impact. Convergence is also about excellence and creating lasting quality while forging ahead with a better model.”

Provided by: Geekexchange.com

            Like Robert Iger, current CEO of Disney until 2016, he understood that incorporating Pixar into the Disney conglomerate would place Disney at the top of animation against any other. According to Spiegel Online article, ‘Total Convergence and the "Media Explosion," in which Iger and Bill gates spoke in 2007 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, about, “Every piece of content should become available on every piece of electronic equipment, at any time.” Even Bill Gates wowed the crowed when he,

“Had a kitchenette set up on stage. It made recipe suggestions on the basis of the food available. For example, the system tells Gates -- who confessed to not being much of a cook -- that the flour in the cupboard can be used to make the Italian bread focaccia and tells him exactly how to bake it.”

He went on to present a “room-size wallpaper that doubles as a monitor. It could allow Grandma to keep an eye on her dog while she is away. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Robert Iger all had brilliant ideas as to how to stay ahead of the game. Iger and Job’s worked with each other bringing Apple to Disney and vice versa. They were intelligent businessmen in the end and they understood the importance of merging excellent technologies that further their conglomerates but also advanced the future. This is the perfect model for the far more advanced children of today who are growing up in this fast paced world of convergence. Our job as adults is to simply learn and teach as much as we can until our time is up.

           

Provided by:
mediaculturesociety.org

The Transformation Within Convergence.

Rosenfield Media

As the world goes digital, old and new generations have to slowly adjust to a new lifestyle. By all means, it is safe to say that there is a great future for convergence. Whether it will be gathering information, or a new way of learning, convergence will lead our future’s future.  As Merriam-Webster defines it as “the merging of distinct technologies, industries, or devices into a unified whole”, convergence will bring almost everything together. With the help of new innovative platforms and gadgets, we will consume information real quick at a real time pace. However, it will question the future of some industries, one of them being my field - journalism.

Though there’s Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networks that help boost the speed and viral-ity of news it questions the consistency and accuracy of how in depth the news really is. As mentioned many times in past blog posts and in class, citizen journalism is on the rise. Although it is convenient, it may not be accurate or true for one matter. Thus leading to a learning process we must all partake in for our futures, where both technology and storytelling (transmedia) come to play.

In addition to the learning process, transmedia would definitely create a new learning platform for all ages. Referring back to my last post and mentioning Henry Jenkins’ “T” is for “Transmedia” blog post on his website, using small games for toddlers will help them learn. If we continue to create these kinds of transmedia, though it may seem we are being dumbed down by how advanced technology is, young kids can begin to learn about things subconsciously. Not only that but we can discover new ways of learning through them and learn how to improve much more. Thus, a win-win situation for generations involved.

However, as mentioned multiple times mentioned in class, and even guest speaker Hashem Bajwa, we should never forget how it all started. In other words, know your history - about the printing press, the invention of the television, radio, and the rest of classic and modern technology. This way, we understand how things come about and, most importantly, why. Through this, we may utilize them and create something bigger and innovative. Just like Hashem’s project with Jay-Z’s book Decode and Microsoft’s search engine Bing. Two polar opposite subjects meshed together to make a greater storytelling ordeal where the mass can participate.

That is one example of the many. There is more to come due to the technology and the resources being highly accessible in this day and age; to the point where almost nothing can be kept private. We can expect innovative technology to help us understand and develop ways to do the storytelling. But we should think about how we can be original with our ideas other than transforming something into another.

Sources:
Hashem Bajwa, Dro5a
Henry Jenkins, T is for Transmedia

We Are the Future: Convergence

(Google Images: www.adds.com)

The future of convergence, I think is up to what society wants it to be, and what people continue to mass produce and provide for our society to consume and create. That will obviously continue to evolve, because everyone wants to be part of the media and even more when it's popular mainstream media. It's in the hands of the people for convergence to continue, however, whether its for better or for worse, also depends on our society, and what they make of it in the past, present, and future. It's important to know the history of convergence and things in the past that have gotten it to where its at now. It shows us what we might want to change or want to continue on doing later on. It's important in the present, obviously because its what we're living in the moment, and things always change every single second of our lives so its always good to be consistent with what's going on. Lastly, it's important in the future, because no one knows what the future of convergence holds and what is at stake. We don't know what the future of convergence will look like because everyday is a fresh start. For example, tomorrow is a new start for the future of convergence. In other words, the past and present of convergence defines the future of convergence so we better do something that benefits, teaches, and betters us for it to have decent outcomes. We are convergence.

(Google Images: www.rapfix.mtv.com)

 Technology and storytelling go hand in hand. People use technology to tell a story and people tell stories using technology. It might sound like the exact same thing, but its not, at least not to me. On one hand, people promote and sell technological devices through storytelling. Advertisers use the narrative form of storytelling, to catch people's attention and in a way relate to them. They can use different kinds of storytelling, whether it may be one person's story or a million people's story. On the other hand, people tell their stories using technology. One would think, it would benefit one or the other, but in reality it benefits both. Now, using technology and storytelling is beneficial for advertisers. However, I think it is more beneficial to the person that is trying to sell the technological device because all they need is one great storyline that tells a story that connects with the audience to get the product selling. I wrote this, thinking a lot more literal, logical, and straight to the point. Moreover, the intersection between technology and storytelling work because like we saw for the promotion of Jay-Z's decoded book, a whole lot of storytelling went into it. The advertisers actually had to use a journalistic kind of storytelling idea and skill to capture the publics attention. In this case, they were trying to sell his book not a technological device, but they used a great amount of technology to promote this product. Using technology and storytelling together work perfectly to promote and sell something.

(Google Images: www.slideshare.net)

We can approach the future of convergence by blending our past and our current experiences. In addition, we can even blend the past experiences of others by taking the good, plus what we learned and mix it with our own experiences today. I think that's how we should look at it, although not in such a literal way, we don't necessarily want to "copy" but instead emulate what we have learned from others. I think this will help people create better things and relate to other people. For instance, Deboard did mention in the Society of the Spectacle, that we idealize and put other things on a certain platform because we think that will make it more valuable. However, I think we need to stop looking and putting things on a higher platform just because the rest of society does. We shouldn't always tag along. On the other hand, in chapter Clay Shirky's Everyone is a Media Outlet Mass Mass Amateurization, he talked about having a voice and free speech. Its kind of like citizen journalism and how we have to have our own voice, I think this is very important within our society because it's something that many people are lacking. "Economic logic, allowing anyone to create anything and make it available to anyone that creates new material, allows no professional to filter it," said Shirky. I think this benefits our society if we use our voices for the better. The fact that citizen journalism is so dominant now and that our voices could be heard really helps put ourselves out there without professional barriers. There is no filtering, however, if not used correctly this can backfire and used in other ways that without an authority can get out of hands.

I also think that games will become a huge part of the future of convergence as its doing so right now. For example, there are now schools that are focusing on teaching children in a different manner and not the traditional way. They use technology and video games to help challenge students to think outside if the box. I think this is good if its done the right way and in their case it is because kids are viewing life differently they are seeing things in a whole new perspective. They are the inventors and will be the prosperous in the future if everything is done right and in a intelligent way. People live off their technological devices so its obvious that it will stay in the future, but by teaching these children another way of learning that will help see things in another light will actually help them understand convergence in another idea. An idea they can be apart of. We can expect them to be our future and to teach us the future of convergence if we don't use our experiences into good use.

(Google Images: www.cepro.com)

We should prepare by being intelligent consumers and creative producers. We have to think outside of the box like so many people that invent and create things do. I think the way challenging video games teach kids will better their mindset and expand their ideas, because they will be exposed to more. Jane McGonigal stated that, "Gaming can make a better world" I think that this is correct and creative, but I also think if it's done in the ways that she's explained it will, but if not it can make our children lazy. Kids might take it as a joke or find it too "fun" but nonetheless its up to teachers to teach it in the correct manner so its actually put to good use, and so it can benefit our future and the kids.

Jenkins mentioned a quote, by Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital that, "The combined forces of technology and human nature will ultimately take a stronger hand in plurality than any laws Congress can invent." (pg. 5) This a quote that our society has to take more into consideration, we need to believe more in ourselves and what we can create. Our opinions and ideas count too, and the fact that he said that it may be stronger than any Congress Law when combined with technology really should make us think. We should think about our future, because if we don't nobody else will and we will be trap. We need to continue creating the future of convergence the same way creative minds like Hashem Bajwa has done and take his work as an example for the future of convergence.


Bibliography/Citations:

Debord, Guy, The Society of the Spectacle, 1967

Shirky Clay, Everyone is a Media Outlet

McGonigal, Jane:  Gaming Can Make a Better World

Class video on Video Game Teaching in School

Jenkins, Henry, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, 2007

Bajwa, Hashem, Droga5

Convergence is going to Converge

The future of convergence is going to become something we did not see or even become to. Convergence is consuming and producing at the same time, but at the speed where us journalists are trying to keep up. It is being run through computing with one single device that is able to activate not only task at a time, but multiple tasks. You can literally run everything at the same time! Convergence is   making and selling the content that the public can produce. It all leads down to technology. Technology is evolving more and more every year and we have media powers that are working together to intrigue the public. The public is the consumers and as they consume the media with their electronic devices,  the producers are making money. For example,  Hasham Bajwa, the director of digital strategy for Droga5. He has worked on various campaigns such as the Jay Z Decoded, the HP The Computer is Personal Again Campaign and the Google Earth 250,000 Mile Test Drive Video.

Focusing on Jay Z Decoded Campaign, Hasham worked innovative ways to help Microsofts search engine Bing create competitive advantage over Google. They created a one month real life hunt for 5-10 pages from the books to a unique physical location that has relevance to his pages in the book around the globe. The incentive was the first to claim the page released would win a signed copy page by Jay Z and be entered in a grand prize for lifetime to Jay Z concerts. By this,  it is an example of the intersection of technology and storytelling. Hasham digital strategy was worked with Microsoft Bing that their page viewers and visitors increased immensely. Bajwa claimed that the "resulting effects on Popular culture are priceless" it was all worth it in the end.

We can approach the future with our knowledge of the past and contemporary experiences by learning what is the new era of technology. Mixing what we know of how we learned with our hands on experiences to mixing it into the the technology that children are learning with the tablets that learn. The new technology is leading the society to new the new school system.  Currently, children are learning through computers and tablets and are less hands on because their are less workbooks being brought into the school environment. The workbooks are becoming more digitalized to work their creative and active minds.

Transmedia story telling through technology and games will be used in the future because the way people and children are learning nowadays are through interactive games and technological uses.  People is today's recent generation rely on technology and how they connect with the world. Currently, people without the use of technology feel disconnected to the world. Children are learning through gaming and now feel like they cannot learn or live without it. We can see that the future is technology and it's reliance to live on a daily basis. It is the local story telling that goes globally. We as the consumers and producers need to be open minded and have that open insight when it comes to the media. When we are closed minded, it can and will create and suspenseful event. But, we need to not forget to be involved in the media because having a sense of what is going on can lead and alter our values on the public. Every time an event happens, I am sure that people alter their opinions and values about what they believe in because sometimes it is unrealistic for the way humans work.

The future of media will continue to evolve regardless if it is for the better or for the worse. We cannot cannot stop what is being released being produced by the consumers, but we can alter and control people's thoughts. We all need to become more accepting to the transition and the evolving of the media because it will continue to change. Technology will always change and how we see and talk about the world along with the audience as the makers and the audience will have an audience. We can prepare this by being confident in the facts we obtain and stand by what we know. Real life events and facts will always alter though the grape vine, but their is always a single line of truth behind each fact.


Resources:
Henry Jenkins, 2007, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide

Hashem Bajwa,  Droga5 

Transmedia Storytelling

The Future is Games

Technology is something that we as humans in today's society cannot imagine living without. There isn't a time when we leave our house without our smartphone, that is just how our media platform has risen. Our demand for more technology is so great that companies need to compete in a dog eat dog market. Convergence will be the driving force for these companies to keep competing. Media and content have taken over the spectrum and will continue to do so since the amount of users rise on a daily bases. Social networking have taken over as the main platforms that we use in our everyday lives. Our future is in technology and media, the path that we going toward has made us realize that we cannot imagine ourselves in a different era. We have just seen the beginning of what is yet to come in the future.

Jay-Z and Bing Campaign

Media across multiple platforms has been a big player of recent years and is transforming into a great form of communication. For example Hashem Bajwa from Droga5 worked with Microsofts Bing and World superstar Jay-Z to collaborate on a project that would market both parties. Jay-Z had released his book Decoded and Microsoft was promoting their new search engine Bing. The campaign was created to allow people to interact on a multiple platforms using a game they came up with. Bajwa took a idea and turned it into a what we will continue to see in the future. The message was to promote both parties by using transmedia to their advantage. Pages from Jay-Z's book were placed on billboards, signs, clothing, and other symbols. People where able to look at these pages from Bing to capture the pages and win a prize. This allowed people to have incentive for using Bing and buying Jay-Z's book. It formulated a huge success and we can expect more advertisement from gaming.


Transmedia story telling through games will be used in the years to come because it is a fun way for people to interact and understand what is being promoted. People in today's society have high expectations for color which makes it hard to promote boring ads. Society is taking steps toward more tans media which is why out future is within advertising using games and other ideas that promote storytelling. Henry Jenkins explains that kids that understand their experiences with technology and transmedia are going demand it when they get older. Jenkins states "Kids who have grown up enjoying Pokemon across media are going to expect this kind of experience." (Jenkins P.1)I have to agree with his statement because the future is in technology and we cannot deny that fact.

Which brings up probably the biggest phenomenon of technology and that is video games. People are being consumed in this digital world and cannot get out. Hours and hours are being spent on gaming which is why transmedia storytelling is salting on a gaming scale. The problem with video games is that some people cannot understand that it is not healthy to play days straight. Which is why we need to be careful when we deal with gaming and games because it can become addicting. Other than the addiction games are the perfect way for people of all ages to interact with each other and share ideas. jane McGonigal has clearly stated "Games can make the world better", and she is right by saying this. Technology is used everywhere and why not use games as our basis for learning, McGonigal creates games for children to think critically. These kinds of games can help society because kids are so used to gaming that their attention won't be lost. There is a school in New York that basis their educational system on learning through games and technology. Children are being taught to create and learn about games which is so crucial to todays society.

The future as we know it is evolving each and every day and we can expect it keep improving. Games are going to be the future of transmedia storytelling, and we are certainly heading into that direct as we saw with Hashem's demonstration. Technology is going to force people to realize that they need to keep up with multimedia and different forms of transmedia. It is an exciting time for people who enjoy technology as we will continue to see opportunities arise. As for those who haven't had the opportunity to learn about all these new platforms it is going to be a struggle, that is where we are heading and there is no turning back.


Bibliography

Droga5

Jane McGonigal

Jenkins, Henry. "Solutions to Electric-Vehicle Battery Hazards." MIT Technology Review. 15 Jan. 2003.