I found the topic of digital convergence to be extremely compelling, as I’ve grown up at the unique time where I can still remember life before the Internet of Things, but have come of age while technology has become more and more embedded in my life.
Specifically, I experienced the first half of my adolescence without a smart phone, without social media, without any personal online history. But by the time I graduated high school, I had all three of those things, and went through my entire college experience living my life both in reality and online.
The result of digital convergence, I’ve found, is equal parts beneficial and problematic.
As a recent viral tweet said, “everyone hates millennials until it’s time to convert a PDF into a Word doc.”
Because so much of my social and biological development has happened in tandem with digital convergence, the ability to learn and execute digital skills comes more easily, as I’ve written just about every paper in my academic life on a word processor, managed a variety of social media platforms — both personal and professional — and used smart technology to complete tasks like GPS navigation, tracking health information, and creating and consuming media. That’s the beneficial part; I’ve grown up practicing the skills that it takes to survive in the professional world.
The problem comes from my reliance on it. If there’s traffic on my way to work, I rely completely on a GPS to find a way around it. If my phone dies, I’m unable to complete tasks at work and communicate with others. If my car didn’t alert me to when I need to check my engine, I’d break down on the highway. I’m so used to digital tech completing tasks that previous generations simply used their brains for.
And while I’m acutely aware of that in my day-to-day life, I don’t really expect it to change.
Convergence and the Internet of Things
Everyday appliances are becoming increasingly connected to the internet, which has resulted in a reliance on technology that we can’t ignore. I expect as we move forward, the growth in the Internet of Things will take up more space in our lives as we are unable to distinguish reality from our digital worlds.
Supporters of the AI industry have reassured critics that robots won’t replace jobs, but rather take over the tasks that we typically waste time and brain power on. Self-driving cars, for example, can let us relax on a long stretch of the highway. Alexa will send flowers to our loved ones on their birthdays.
As newer capabilities emerge, like refrigerators that order new groceries for us, and bathroom censors that detect cancerous cells become commonplace, my hope is that we do actually spend more time connecting with each other since smaller tasks may be taken care of.
What I’m sure of, however, is that there will be new opportunities for digital advertising to lower the cost of owning these items and participating in the Internet of Things, which will bridge some of the gap in the digital divide.
While ads may make smart appliances more affordable, we can expect to see an increase in convenience that sacrifices privacy. All our internet-enabled devices will send data back to their creators, who will invariably sell it to advertisers that will track how often we order groceries from our fridge, what kind of food we eat, etc.
I’m excited to watch our world transform as our society invents new ways for technology to improve out lives, but not without caution for the dangers of over reliance. And certainly not without my screen protective glasses.
Digital Media Musings 