Digital Media, Convergence and Technology

What this page covers

Most of the page is mind maps. They look at how digital and networked media have changed publishing, how new media is defined, and how technology shapes society. You will find maps on The Social Life of Information, What is Web 2.0? and Making a profit, plus others on surveillance, globalisation and citizen journalism.

Where to start

Begin with the broad overview maps. Introduction to Interactive Media explains what interactive media is and how traditional media evolved. Lecture 8: Digitalisation sets digital against analogue. Then move to What is convergence, which leads into the many maps on convergence's fundamental question.

Debates and viewpoints

Several maps set opposing views side by side. NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGY covers the technophilic approach, and one map contrasts the Neophiliacs with the Cultural Pessimists. Another, Technology and Continuity & Change, lists positive and negative changes. These suit essay planning, because you can see each argument and its counter at a glance. The listed resources mention A-level Media Studies and A-level Sociology, so school students will find material that fits those courses.

Using quizzes, maps and flashcards together

1. Read a map to get the shape of a topic.
2. Take the quiz Digital Media Sectors and Audiences to see what stuck.
3. Open a flashcard deck such as Digital Natives or Technological Determinism NEW to fix the key terms.
4. Go back to the maps for any gaps.

The quiz set is small, so the maps and decks do most of the work. Many decks are plain term lists, which are handy for quick review.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Media, Society and Culture in Media studies. Pick one map that matches your course, then try building a map of your own.