Convergence of varied media | Digital Letterpress: Part 2

“All this modern technology just makes people try to do everything at once,” writes cartoonist Bill Watterson in his beloved Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. My generation quite frankly is a conglomeration of digital multitasking masterminds. We live double lives (between physical and digital space) that, if described with any amount of exaggeration, would sound like the plot outline for an 80’s sci-fi story. We can easily switch between being productive and being entertained by a few finger taps on the device in our hands. We live in a world quickly moving in a digital direction, and in that, we like to constantly have something to consume from that digital space. Can you feel the sci-fi vibe yet? The way we communicate with each other has obviously developed in recent years, forcing traditional formats to adapt or fade away. In this transition period, our ability to send efficient and effective messages needs to adapt as well. As media continue to develop and converge, we must be able to stay on target with our audiences.

Sometimes I have trouble processing just how connected of a society I live in. Aside from our personal connections to one another, we have developed our technology to be connected as well. The rise of cloud computing has contributed much to the experience of devise connectivity. You may ask what this has to do with communication. Our devices are now the way we take in information, news, entertainment, etc. They are how we keep in touch with one another and how we keep tabs on current events in the world around us. But if we simply wanted a device that allowed for info consumption and personal connectivity, the desktop computer would have more than sufficed. Instead, individuals want all of that and more. They want the ease and convenience of mobility. They also want a seamless experience using multiple devices.

Going back to my reference to the “cloud,” it has allowed for data transfer among all our personal devices. If I don’t want to reach in my pocket for my phone to open iTunes, it’s fine because my music library can be accessed on my tablet, or my laptop, or my T.V. Do you see what I mean? Everything is connected. Before I hear whispering references to Skynet, let me explain what I mean. Because of our desire for a diverse consumption experience (one that gives few hassles but plenty of perks), we have created the standard for how diverse information must be. Businesses, in order to stay relevant, must be diverse in their communication to us. News industries can no longer rely one a single outlet to reach an audience. Data-flow must be multi-platform or it’s at a disadvantage.

I know personally I gravitate more toward products that allow for multi-platform experiences. As simple an example as it is, I was picky about what Notepad app I used because I wanted to be able to take a note on my phone and then have it available on all of my other devices as well. Industries know this about consumers, and our society has evolved to the point where that is almost the expectation. Apple offers an ecosystem of products that work, communicate, and play well with each other. When Sony launched their PlayStation 4 console two years ago, they spent a big portion of their conference assuring customers that the device would be connected to an ecosystem of products (their previous machines struggled to truly give a seamless experience).

The rise of apps has also been a driving force in pushing the limits of such an experience. Chris Anderson, in talking about the death of the Web due to app takeover, describes the mindset of our society: “Much as we love freedom and choice, we also love things that just work, reliably and seamlessly. And if we have to pay for what we love, we, that increasingly seems OK.” So as consumers, we want products as well as messages given to us in outlets that find us instead of substantial effort on our part to seek them out.

With the diversity of our devices comes the convergence of our media. We get pelted with the messages sent by commercial, entertainment, and news industries. The adaptation of the message has come in how many forms its sent. We may consume the same message through a handful of differing outlets—video, audio, blog, email, ad, etc. I’m talking about content, not just advertisements. We live in an era when the digital output is so high that it can be a bit dizzying to think about. But we want it that way because we want to view it on our tablets, read about it on our phones, and blog about it on our laptops.

Do we run the risk of data overload? Can we be over-saturated with content to the point that its harmful? An article from the BBC entitled Future of the News raises a similar concern, citing that there is “ever more data, more opinion, more freedom of expression, but it’s harder to know what’s really going on.” It’s a fair point, but it’s a point that I believe is being drowned by the ocean of content added to the digital world every day. As a society, we have made the plunge into digital connectivity, and that is how the masses want to consume their content. Last week I touched on the need for the newspaper industry to adapt with the climate of change or prepare to get left behind, and that warning applies to all forms of communication.

In fact, other industries should learn lessons from newsprint. Alan Mutter of Newsosaur believes the obstacle to “nimble and effective digital publishing at the Times is, as is the case at most other papers, its entrenched print tradition.” In order to communicate efficiently, adaptation must be adopted as well as a clear and targeted message sent. Media will continue to converge as society continues to evolve. One will meet the demands of the other.

Clarity is important in this information age. With the chaos of messages out there, it’s important to stay on-target. If you aren’t clear and efficient, someone else will connect to your audience with a better message. There are countless ways for audiences to be reached in today’s society, so in order to stay afloat in the raging sea that is communicating, clarity and efficiency is the key to success.

On a final note, I find it interesting that, given the array of outlets that produce our content, most now find themselves digital. In times past, television, radio, and print stood as distinct and separate entities, but as time has moved on, those lines have blurred substantially. The digital release of T.V. shows has majorly dented the traditional format of network programming. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon now lead a three-headed monster of competitive original programming, all released exclusively online. Talk radio can be listened to online as well as through podcasts. Apps such as Spotify have completely changed the way radio works with the ability to customize one’s own station. Digital news and e-books are also on the rise. So all of these formats, instead of being distinct mediums, are given to consumers by digital means.

In essence, there are many consumption outlets, but all through one “power source.” The Internet has become a digital kingdom. Everything discussed in this post can thank the internet for its evolution, distribution, and continued existence. Yes, we have more devices than we have hands, and we like using them for all forms of content. Yes, we sometimes look at our phones more than we look ahead while walking. Yes, some may even “live” more in the digital realm compared to the physical one. For good or ill, the internet has allowed our society to develop into the connected, multitasking, run-at-the-speed-of-light, 80’s sci-fi community that it is.

As communicators, it’s our job (my job) to find the best way to reach my audience with the message I’m trying to send. As such, the true key to success may be the following process: press submit on this blog post, Tweet about the posting, link my blog url to Facebook, post a witty photo to Instagram mentioning that I’m finished with my blog for the week, make a short video on YouTube discussing the main points of this week’s post, upload the audio of that video to iTunes podcasts, and lastly (because of course it would be the final step) spread the word face-to-face with actual real people. Or I could, as Mr. Watterson puts it, do it all “at once.”