The Death of Television and the Birth of Digital Convergence: (Re)shaping Media in the 21 st Century

Abstract

Television is not ‘television’ anymore. It is a complex and rapidly evolving medium that is moving from a space defined by broadcast to one struggling for interactivity, mobility and digital convergence . The very nature of this digital convergence is occurring at breakneck speed, so fast in fact that this revolution in entertainment will not be ‘televised’. It may be suggested that with the advent of the Internet, television is increasingly being identified as a push technology geared only for the masses and lacking personal (and democratic) choice. Indeed, recent North American research confirms that experienced Internet users are sacrificing their television viewing time for that of the Internet. This paper critically examines the changing nature of television, and the ways in which the Internet (with its multiple fragmentations and digital mobility), is motivating a desire for novel on-demand entertainment spaces within the home and school contexts.