The era of media convergence

Convergence is usually defined as the merging or combination of various technologies or entities. The main difference between transmedia storytelling and conventional storytelling is the former’s higher dependence on technology.

For example, let’s examine user-created content (UCC), which is highly popular in today’s virtual spaces. To create UCC, users need modern skills and techniques beyond their basic ability to understand the narrative, such as filming and editing videos and uploading content to online forums. Storytelling in the analog era only required good storytelling, but digital storytelling unavoidably demands the assistance of digital tools. The latter requires an integrative skill set, including a literary imagination to create a concept, the aesthetic sensibility to refine it, and the editing technology to process and beautify raw content. Yet convergence goes beyond simple technological fusion; it also includes psychological expansion.