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Industry convergence is the converging of industries. It is intrinsically related to technological convergence as companies are heavily adopting Information Communication Technologies (ICT’s), to facilitate business transactions on not only a national scale but also a global scale. Industry convergence has fuelled globalisation and the new economy and is particularly prominent in the media industry (Flew and McElhinney, 2002 pg 305).
Distinct industry boundaries are now blurred and society has seen an increase in service and knowledge based industries. This is characteristic of the new economy which is based around information, networks and intangibles. Knowledge and intellect is now much more highly valued than traditional practical skills (Hartley, 2002 pg 39-40, 162). For youth this means a number of things. Firstly if education does not embrace the fundamentals of the new economy where it is vital to understand and have the ability to use ICT’s effectively, then their career options and ability to participate across discourses will be limited. This is also due to the fact that technology itself can now compensate the need for staff with purely practical skills such as numeracy.
Industry convergence has also meant that traditional industry structures have changed. There is no longer a central place of power. Rather industries have become decentralised as global networks have formed. Information can now be obtained from several points and young people must know how to access this information if they are to enter the workplace and communicate effectively in society.
Industry convergence also questions cultural boundaries. Because industries no longer battle the barriers of distance and are not restricted by geography, information and the circulation of ideas are becoming global. This then poses the question are we losing our national identity to a larger global identity? And will this ultimately be lost through our youth? Some academics argue this is occurring rapidly and will result in a loss of national and personal identity. On the other hand they argue that technology and culture are interconnected and cannot be separated, and this is simply an evolving youth culture that is inevitable (Hartley 2002 pg 98-99).
Because the media industry is at the forefront of industry convergence this poses some concerns for youth. The media industry is seen to be the leader in globalisation. Convergence has lead to company mergers (Cunningham and Tuner 2002, pg 60) which has seen the diversity of media content decrease. The industry is dominated by very few, very powerful media organisations. Because the media is a tool for which people view the world around them and make sense of its happenings this is of some concern. Moreover it is a concern for youth as they are at an age where they are highly impressionable and influential and the media forms a large part of their quest for identity.
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Adele Graves 09:15, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
