Ideas are ever new. This maxim describes our lives, our professions and our choices of media. Buying a new phone for its vast and fast applications might be thrilling today; however, tomorrow that phone becomes obsolete when a competitor releases version 5.5. Ideas are ever evolving, like technology. One does not need to be a technologist, a rocket scientist or a PhD to fully create innovate concepts. I propose that it is the innovative idea that keeps us engaged in a rapidly converging media landscape.
Convergence, in one form or another, is as old as time. The wheel began rapid transportation and time for leisure. Gutenberg's movable type gave us mass education, new literacy, social movements and new ways to examine our world. Facebook and Google redefined the meaning of friends and research.
At the core, creative ideas drove these technologies and spawned further innovations. Creativity promotes convergence and convergence, at least in the media sense, promotes fresh approaches to stay ahead of the curve. The next idea is always the best one.
I think that it is human nature to evolve and always think of a better, faster way to do things. From the printing press, to the space race, and now hand-held technology; these times are breeding grounds for innovations and oppurtunity. It is a great time to be a scientist.
ReplyDeleteConvergence is an interesting concept in that it is the transitional "object" throughout history. As D.W. Winnicott, a British Psychoanalyst explains the transitional objects allows for a cathexis with the human and the object. It is then the creative space that allows both the creator and the outside world(consisting of not only the physical,but also history and so forth) to meet. Evolution of the field and new inventions leads to a new creativity as the world continues to build upon itself increasingly approaching new concepts and innovations. This understanding of convergence and the forever evolving world is fascinating in relation to creativity and how new innovations only lead to a newer creativity as the objects meet in a creative space.
ReplyDeletein reference to the rapid turnover of new cell phones and the fact that they are "old" in a few months, because of brand new technology. I think that the manufacturers and companies hold on technology and products back, and release slowly, to make the most gain on the products. so they can keep a quick purchase cycle on the phones and other electronics.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to realize that technology is ever evolving. Sites like Facebook and Twitter were groundbreaking once in a generation idea. As a journalism major myself, I have seen the convergence on all stages. For example, while covering the KSU women's basketball game, I tweet score updates while photographers get snap shot after snap shot and I finish the game by recording an interview with coaches and players. It has been this way for many years but what the groundbreaking idea is, hasn't happened yet. When you combine the ideas on one simple media that professionals and and high schoolers alike can use, then you have the newest convergence
ReplyDeleteI do think with things constantly evolving and changing, coming up with new and fresh ideas can become a little challenging. We live in an information age, everything is coming at us so fast I can relate to the idea that something at first thought is overwhelming but then I am over it by the next day. Like the cell phone example. I think we are an interactive age so no matter how fast we get tired of things new ideas will never cease to exist and challenge us in new and different ways.
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