Convergence Culture

During this weeks reading of the Worship at the Altar of Convergence, by Henry Jenkins, he describes the idea of a rising convergence culture.  Jenkins proposes that the forms of media are not only flowing across multiple platforms through collaborative efforts between consumers and producers.  However, Jenkins argues that not only is entertainment being converged through multiple media technologies, but “Our lives, relationships, memories, fantasies, desires also flow across media channels.” 

            He states that convergence is a change in the way media is both produced and consumed.  The pull and tug from the consumer and producers forces companies to innovate in how they produce advertisement to the consumers. He argues that companies are developing ways to accelerate the flow of media content across channels to expand revenue and broaden markets.  As the users begin to become more involved in the new media technologies companies are forced to rethink old assumptions and create news ways to collect and retain consumers. 

            One such way companies are adapting to the evolving convergence culture is through collaboration with the social network giant Facebook.  The article, (http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/29/technology/facebook_ticker_privacy/index.htm) I have chosen shows how Facebook is now using multiple platforms of media that the user “likes” to advertise for other companies.  This idea relates to Jenkin’s argument because the media companies have found a way to advertise through a person’s likes a dislikes thereby broadening their brand through the user.   It also furthers his point because users are actively participating, and as a result are becoming personal billboards. For instance some apps downloaded on a smartphone require the user to log into Facebook in order to use it. Whatever that user does on the app, such as listening to a song on Spotify, will be displayed on Facebook.  People on Facebook can comment on why they liked the game, movie, or song as a result further fueling interests for their friends who are considering using the content.  The flow of our personal information across the social media landscape is allowing companies to create cheap ways of advertising their products, which exemplifies Jenkin’s argument.

AIM Blog

I thought that the readings of the last two weeks have been very interesting.  In particular the article Introduction: Identity in the Age of the Internet, Sherry Turkle was thought provoking.  One of her main points is that due to the anonymity of the   MUDs gives “people the chance to express multiple and often unexplored aspects of the self, to play with their identity and try out new ones.” I believe that this point translates well into our AIM project.  The extent to which someone creates an alternate persona online is influenced by anonymity and the creativity of their own self. 

During the week I have had the chance to talk with two classmates made up personas.  Both classmates were acting as elderly men.  One was a Special Forces mentor who was called back into the forces to train the cadets, and the other was a depressing, earless, cat fearing old man.  These personas were both filled with fun quirks or views on the world that may or may not be the same as the author.  The change from real life to the Internet allowed the authors to act as someone completely different or as close to their true self as they wanted. 

I believe that Turkle’s point is upheld in the AIM project because the authors had the ability to use and include as much or as little of their normal personality as they had wanted.  The project also allowed the authors to explore a different life, one that may have more authoritative perspective or a very different view of the world, that the authors might not have shared without the anonymity of the Internet.  I also think that her argument shows that people who make up a different persona on the Internet have the ability to think from a different perspective to stay in character.  These multiple aspects of the self can be taken to whatever extent of creativity that the authors chose to use.  This idea further reflects the implication of playing with the identity.  Overall I thought of this project as an interesting mini case study of how easily people can develop a false identity in the virtual realm.