Media convergence and new forms of communication

Abstract

Over the last decade, "media convergence" has emerged as a novel phenomenon in the realm of communication. Initially conceived and/or interpreted as a technological breakthrough, “media convergence” may have had a technological origin in the appearance of digital languages and media digitization, but it has managed to transform the future of mass media, Consumer Culture, users's lives, and, in general, media landscape as a whole. Media convergence is not only technological artifact as the majority tends to believe. Rather, it embodies a cultural, social, symbolic, semiotic, political, economic and anthropological phenomenon anchored on a technological base. We have just begun to perceive its primary manifestations but it certainly configures an interesting field of research for social communicators, journalists, sociologists, anthropologists and systems engineers and designers from different areas. Understanding "media convergence" has thus become a necessity as it may play key roles on the future of industries such as mass media, information technology, and cultural production.