Convergence Culture: A Book Review

Henry Jenkins writes a colorful view of media convergence with many different types of media represented, though he mainly focuses on the Internet and its powers over society. While traditional media still plays a major role in the everyday lives of people, the Internet is replacing it little by little, until traditional media becomes niche and Internet is the mainstream.

Jenkins uses contemporary examples to explain in depth what most media savvy people should already understand. While this helps him to engage a large amount of readers in the present, it makes the book very time-sensitive and later generations might not understand all the references. This is not a problem, though, as the information the book conveys is nearly as time-sensitive and prone to aging. His work is admirable in that he allows his examples to take over, contrary to filling his pages with boring information that would mean very little to the average contemporary reader. That said, he does overdo his examples at time, with over-explanations and over-analysis quite prevalent in some of the chapters, namely the one with Harry Potter.

The divisions and layout of the book are sub-par, with some margin passages taking up several pages that easily distract the reader. Some of the chapters feel too long for their own good, as it is easy to get the point of the chapter fairly quickly without having to read the whole thing. Organization wise, it might have helped to arrange the chapters in a way that conveyed an actual sense of organization, rather than a seemingly random order.

Convergence Culture is a great read, but likely will not stay relevant for too much longer. It's a one-shot book that takes a look into the media shifts through various fandoms, but it's a pretty good one. Definitely a great discussion book.

Digital Literacy in a Digital Age

While one may view that it takes a healthy amount of media literacy in order to survive in today’s society, that may not always be the case. Some elderly and people living in rural areas can survive quite well using the simpler, older technologies. But to truly thrive in today’s society, as well as stay “in the loop,” one needs some form of media literacy. Knowing basic computer and Internet skills is comparable to knowing how to drive a car, in that you are able to drive a car without knowing how all the internal parts work. It is important to know how to drive a car in some societies, though it is possible to survive without it. If you know how your car works, it makes it easier to fix a problem without the use of external help. Metaphors aside, knowing how to use a computer allows a person to connect themselves with the outside world. Most jobs also require some interaction with a computer, whether through email or normal day-to-day activities. Cell phones are also an important item to master, since most calls are done through them in modern times. In 2007, over 250 million Americans subscribed to a cell phone service, which is roughly 82% of the population (Gearlog). Through the Internet and cell phones, we are conveniently connected to one another by a quick push of a button. Anyone not connected to this extensive network gets left out of the culture, and will potentially miss out on important information that cannot be conveyed through TV or radio. Credibility is much easier to check on the Internet, where there is a vast amount of information sources, allowing one to compare stories within mere minutes (Trampiets). In sum, society changes to fit the new technology, and it is quite beneficial to keep up, though perhaps not biologically necessary as of yet.

Trampiets, Fran. “Ask an expert: The importance of media literacy.” CNN Archives Online. 6 October 2009

“U.S. Cell-phone Penetration Tops 82 Percent.” GEARlog. 6 October 2009