The Impact of Digital Convergence on Everyday Life
Valencia
“Technology goes beyond mere tool making; it is a process of creating ever more powerful technology using the tools from the previous round of innovation” (Kurzweil , 2023). While the accelerating progress of technologies is not groundbreaking news, what sets the current era apart is digital convergence. This process involves bringing together technologies that have been invented to develop something that is more inline with time. It could be composed of different media , information , voice , telephony , television and merged into a single service or machine . Think of it as an orchestra , where various talented musicians represent different technologies , each playing distinct instruments , and are arranged harmoniously to produce a symphony. Conversely, the absence of digital convergence is when these musicians only focus on their own specific task, resulting in no coherence between one and another. Around 65.7 percent of the world’s total population has a digital lifestyle , which refers to the way individuals integrate digital technologies into their daily lives. It encompasses the use of digital devices , software applications and online platforms to communicate, entertain ,and learn, hence , it is important that these technologies are able to create a more connected , efficient and user-centric digital experience.
Smartphones serve as a prime example of digital convergence. Has it ever occurred to you that your smartphone is able to do almost everything a computer is able to do, often it is equipped with similar components found in computers. This is due to technological convergence which allows the integration of computer components into smartphones to be as seamless as possible and create a versatile ,multifunctional device. These days smartphones come equipped with a wide range of features, from making phone calls to capturing images, both of which utilise different types of technology. Making phone calls involves voice communication technology in which sound is captured through the built-in microphone, converting sound waves into digital signals through analog-to-digital conversion then transmitted to the speaker on the other end. Simultaneously , it is able to capture images , which involves the phone’s camera sensor that captures still images.This technology includes components like lenses,image sensors and image processing software. Although these features have very separate purposes , modern smartphones are able to integrate both functionalities, in which users are able to switch between or even do both features at the same time on the same device effortlessly. Many more of these technologies have been integrated into smartphones to make users’ life more convenient from day to day. This integration of technologies into smartphones is referred to as technological convergence. Before technological convergence, voice communications were confined to wired landline telephones , lacking mobility.The shift from landline phones to mobile phones exemplifies how digital convergence has created a portable platform for day-to-day digital communication .
Although mobile phones may seem superior to landline phones, they have introduced a new requirement : the necessity for cellular data to establish connections and facilitate communication. In the digital era , one of the most important aspects that ensure an individual is able to stay connected and communicate with one another is WiFi or cellular data, serving as the lifeline that ensures essential functions. Mobile devices are not only able to make phone calls but are also capable of accessing the internet by using cellular data networks, such as 3G , 4G, or 5G . The combination of cellular data networks and internet access has led to widespread availability of internet services on mobile devices. The merging of different communication and network services is referred to as network convergence.
In addition to that , an advantage of having an internet connection on a device is the ability to access multiple streaming platforms. Streaming services allow users to be able to select from a vast array of shows available at any time. Due to the digitalization of the entertainment sector, which previously featured daily programming, viewers can now ensure they never miss their favourite shows. In addition to that, a movie can be started on a mobile device and finished on a home entertainment device (smart TV). All of this is made possible by digital convergence and synchronising data. Synchronisation ensures that the platform knows exactly where a user left off in their content consumption and enhances user experience, allowing for seamless transitions between different devices.
Additionally , different forms of entertainment , such as books , have also been affected by digital convergence. In the past , books were predominantly only available in print format. Readers would have to purchase or borrow physical copies from libraries and bookstores. Yet now ,books are also available in various digital forms , such as audio and video and expanded the ways people can consume content through audiobooks or digital books. The convergence of various media content into different formats is referred to as media convergence.
In conclusion , digital convergence has changed how people communicate , entertain themselves ,work and consume information. Looking ahead , the future developments of digital convergence are likely to be shaped by ongoing advancements in technology , changing consumer behaviours and evolving industries. One intriguing change that we have seen glimpse of is biometric cyber security measures. As we move forward , emerging technologies may incorporate biometric features to establish more secure systems that are not easily forged.
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