How Does Media Convergence Affect Concepts of Literacy? by: Ryan A. Azcarraga

Media convergence as defined by the Canadian encyclopaedia (source below) is a term that can refer to either: 1) the merging of previously distinct media technologies and media forms due to digitization and computer networking; or 2) an economic strategy in which the media properties owned by communications companies employ digitization and computer networking to work together. Basically, media convergence is the merging of different forms of media like newspapers, radio, cinema and etc… in to a single platform known as the internet. This phenomenon has been possible due to the creation and development of internet, which became the platform for many forms of media, like news media, social media and etc…, because of this phenomenon media convergence has had an impact on concepts of literacy.

Information, news, and many other things is now readily accessible, through the internet and, because of this literacy has been affected. Because of the accessibility of the internet, a lot of people across the world can now learn to read and write through the internet, because of this I believe that due to the emergence of media convergence, it has helped a lot of people combat illiteracy, so as the internet continues to progress and reach more people in the world, it is expected that a lot more people will be able to become literate, because of the accessibility of the internet, and I believe that another form of literacy would be needed in this age of the internet, which is digital literacy, where people should be more adept in the use of online media platforms and they would become, tech and internet savvy.