140 Characters or Less: How Media Convergence is Giving Power to the People

Whether it's exploding from the little rectangle in your pocket or bursting out of the bigger rectangle on your desk, there is no escaping the constant onslaught of media we face in today's world. Maybe the media is coming from 1 source, or 10 sources, or maybe even 100 sources, but the fact of the matter is, the way media is consumed and created is changing. Humans are wired to take the easy route and as a result, we have created magic little boxes that fit in our pockets that give us the ability to view and create all different types of media. This innovation has resulted in a phenomenon known as media convergence which simply put just means that all different forms of media are converging to be accessed through one device. A person no longer has to go to the convenience store to pick up a copy of the paper or get the newest release of Time Magazine, instead they can just head over to the appropriate website and read the online version.

This ability to create and consume almost all media from our handheld devices has brought significant power to the average Joe. People now have the ability to share their own videos, pictures, tweets, blog posts, restaurant and product reviews, Facebook statuses, and countless other things with the rest of the world in a matter of seconds. Not only is this process of media creation fast, it's also easy and a lot of the time fun! On top of the simplicity of it all, companies even encourage people to participate in the media. Ever read Like us on Facebook! or Follow us on twitter! or Leave a review of our product and receive a coupon!? All of these little phrases provide incentive for people to participate in the media and use the power they have sitting in their pocket.

So is this convergence of the media a bad thing? Will it have negative outcomes for us in the future? I argue no. Existing media creators will adapt to this shift and redirect their efforts, companies will continue to encourage participation in the media from their consumers, and every day people like you and I will continue to consume and create media everyday. In fact, I think this convergence of the media will have positive outcomes. People can use their power as media creators to share thoughts and ideas in seconds which will accelerate the process in which new inventions are created, new policies are implemented, and new ways of thought are born.

Can you feel the power surging from your pocket? Can you feel the weight of the responsibility that has been placed in your hands? You as an individual have the ability right now to go and create something; something that could change the ideas of 5 or maybe 5 million people. You hold tremendous power now, use it wisely.