Convergence

The author describes convergence culture as “describ[ing] technological, industrial, cultural, and social changes in the ways media circulates within our culture.” The circulation of media con- tent must have the active participation of consumers. The author describes creative engagement as a way to“document conflicting perspectives on media change rather than to critique them. I don’t think we can meaningfully critique convergence until it is more fully understood; yet if the public doesn’t get some insights into the discussions that are taking place, they will have little to no input into decisions that will dramatically change their relationship to media.” Essentially he is saying that creative engagement allows people to analyze the subject at hand and enables them to think critically of the subject, further broadening their understandings. By having a clearer understanding of topics, individuals are more capable of effectively participate in convergence.

Long Tail

Through class discussion and Chris Anderson’s video on Long Tail Theory, I’ve understood that this theory finds selling small amounts of hard-to-find items to consumers just as important as selling large volumes of few products. A personal example of this is when I was in the market for a Johnny Flynn vinyl but I couldn’t necessarily find it in the record store. After recognizing that this item is not a common vinyl in the United States I decided to search for it on Amazon. After finding it on Amazon and recognizing that the product is more available and less expensive than buying in a store, it proved to be a more efficient and effective means of buying vinyl. Through my online consumer behavior on Amazon, I find that it relates to the cross-subsidies model and the simplifier segment. I use Amazon often and so I finally made the switch to Amazon Prime, which allows for “free two day shipping”. I wanted the products featured on Amazon (the products that entice me) and through the demand for these products I was willing to pay to $99 a year in order to receive these benefits. The shipping is “free” but in reality I am paying for the shipping upfront through purchasing an Amazon Prime account.In terms of the simplifier segment, Amazon has proven to be a reliable source of getting the precise object that I want. I wanted a Johnny Flynn album and with one simple search on Amazon I was easily able to purchase the product.