Convergence in Technology and Political Participation

Convergence as defined in a dictionary “denotes the approach toward a definite value, as time goes on; or to a definite point, a common view or opinion, or toward a fixed or equilibrium state”. Through the article we read for class, Jenkins describes it as “alternates the relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets, genres, and audiences”. This is important according to Jenkins because Convergence describes a PROCESS not the ENDPOINT. We are entering a new era in which media messages will be made available to us through more mediums that ever before. Using cell phones as an example, we are not only able to make phone calls, we are able to text message, check e-mail, browse the web, send video and photographs, listen to music, check the weather, get alerts about stock, and even view television programs, this list is becoming endless. Convergence is the idea of controlling interests across the entire media and mediated industries, instead of specialization of interests. Convergence is important because it affects the way we view, consume, interpet, and produce media, and mediated messages.

Convergence of these technologies, and the avenues they offer can be seen as a way to augment and encourage political participation amoung the masses. Political Participation can be defined as "the active engagement by individuals and groups with the governmental processes that affect their lives. This encompasses both involvement in decision-making and acts of opposition. Acts of active engagement include conventional political participation (such as voting, standing for office and campaigning for a political party) and unconventional acts, which may be legitimate (such as signing a petition and attending a peaceful demonstration), or illegal (such as violent protest and refusing to pay taxes)". If we continue with the cell phone example, an individual could be able to go online and review current issues, say for example the debate surrounding proposition 8. They continue browsing and they log onto their facebook page and they noticed a event invitation to attend a rally to oppose the passing of proposition 8. They then in turn invite all of their facebook friends to attend, then creates a mass text to send out to their entire adress book on their phone, after which they call some friends and have them do the same. All of this readily available technology makes it very wucik and easy and convenient for many people to recieve a message and then makes them more aware and able to participate. Who knows if it hadn't been for those forms of media how many people would know that there would even be a rally going on.

Other examples of technology used to foster political participation could be the mass e-mailing of a petition, or an alert sent to phones and e-mails encouraging citizens to participate in elections and vote! How many mediated messages to vote did we see this past year? How well do you think the convergence of all of these media affected the voter turnout?

Convergence of these technologies will be key in the future to organize and encourage political participation, and we will only continue to see it used and become more prevalent in the future.