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Sunday 21 February 2010

The Convergence of Media and Cultural Industries


A debate took a place in our class about the convergence of media and cultural industries, it was interesting to hear different opinions, interpretations and thoughts. The following are my answers to the debate questions...


1. Which traditional media are bound to disappear or transform due to convergence? Why?

As technology is getting more and more advanced many traditional media forms are in the danger of extinction. Companies are creating machines which contain different types of media in practical sizes which can be carried around, for example: iPod, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry mobiles, and many more. These machines offered people a new way of life as they make their daily tasks so much easier to be done. Moreover, these machines contain everything from calling, texting emailing going to more advanced things like the memory capacity of these machines. Also, they have good internet connection everywhere so people can check their emails, facebooks and update their twitter no matter where they are. Furthermore, songs can be uploaded to these machines, videos can be watched, news can be received, weather changes are updated, alarm clocks can be set, etc. Things have become so much easier with the existence of these new hi-tech machines since all we need is in one machine which is sufficient. These new technologies and the world wide web are slowly encouraging the disappearance of the old traditional media since they keep on evolving and being more practical and their prices are even getting more reasonable. Radios and CDs will not be needed when the trendy Mac machines are smaller, cooler and easier to carry around. Also, magazines and news papers will slowly decrease in the printed versions since people will prefer to read them online or on the electronic versions which is environmentally. TV's might not get affected much since people still like to sit on a couch and watch their favorite shows with their families and friends but still these shows can be watched online whenever and people can share their comments and thoughts with others from all around the world. Yet some people from the old generations still prefer the old traditional media forms as they grew up using them and they just don't accept the idea of the new technologies and find them useless. However, technology have made the world so advanced and it truly made it feel like a small village once you go into the internet its a totally different world and everything is accessible through it.

2. Will convergence make London an even more multicultural and creative city?

London is a city that is very well known for it's multiculturalism, shown by the different races and nationalities of people who live in it. Many people like to visit or move to London due to its great history with immigrants and the opportunities offered for people's careers and education. The development of Technology might make London an even more multicultural and creative city. TV shows, websites, online videos could be made about London so people can find out more about it and can actually see it, and that might make them want to visit and get the actual physical experience. Thus, more people will migrate which will increase the multiculturalism and diversity of people. Moreover, when different people from different countries come together, many creative ideas are generated in order to bring the comforts of different cultures to London. In addition, these different cultures celebrate different festivals and occasions which will definitely add a sense of creativity to the streets of London and with the help of technology this can be spread and viewed by a lot of people even if they are sitting watching their TV's or laptops screens. In addition, convergence and the evolution of technology may help in getting people to engage themselves in outdoors and community activities just to get themselves out of the technology bubble for a while.

3. Will convergence make the Creative and Cultural Industries more diverse or will it encourage segregation?

The convergence of the creative and cultural industries makes it more diverse and interesting. Technology has taken over on all aspects of life its in schools, hospitals, houses and even streets. It certainly made a difference in our cultural knowledge since we cannot separate technology from culture. Moreover, technology facilitated convergence and it became an essential part of the creative and cultural industries, since their uses of technology have increased. It made media forms more evolved and thus it became more interesting for people and it increased the value of these industries. Convergence didn't encourage segregation, but oppositely it combined there industries into forms of media. It might have created a competitive atmosphere but this is what makes the people who work in these industries more innovative and work harder on attracting people's attention. Convergence definitely makes the creative and cultural industries more and diverse and it enhances creativity and innovation.



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