As most locals would be aware, Uber made its grand and very much long anticipated debut in Wollongong this week. I was among many of the hundreds to take advantage of this service, and with iPhone in hand I fussed over the star-rating of my driver and ranked the poor man based on music taste and comfort of facilities.
Media convergence is a phenomenon occurring right now with profound effects on many facets of the population. This non-linear process has seen an unpredictable shift in the use of technology – inflicting chaos on pre-existing business models of the past. But as I stood there on the curb, watching the GPS-tracked route of my Uber driver, I found myself at the centre of this paradox.
Convergence has changed an audience’s experience and expectation of their role in the media. No longer are we passive consumers, but instead bear the role of active producers and participants.
I guess this just proves the erratic nature of this manifestation. Who would have predicted the invention of the smartphone would single-handedly instigate the demise of the taxi industry?
Feature Image: “Taxi” by Louis Duchesne, licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Lazy Susan. 