Digital Activism and Digital Convergence

What is Digital Activism? Digital activism is defined as the use of Internet tools, especially of social media platforms like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc, to promote certain ideas and gather support around.

Types of Paradigms 1: Information 2: Inspiration In the first paradigm of digital activism, you work with a disadvantaged group that suffers from limited access to even the most basic information and tools for self-expression. So, you use simple-to-use digital devices like mobile phones and Flip video cameras and simple-to-use digital technologies like text messages and online video to enable them to access basic information and share their own stories. In the second paradigm of digital activism, you work with a group that is anything but disadvantaged. This group is at ease with using always on internet and mobile devices, both for instantaneous access to information and for self-expression and social interaction. Here, the digital activist isn’t trying to solve a crisis of capability, but a crisis of caring. Here, the aim is not to empower with information, but to engage with inspiration.

#Tameer-e-School: Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa Government (PTI)has declared education emergency in the province. This campaign will help gather funds for the destroyed schools of the province. PTI’s media cell is very active for this campaign and they have used many famous personalities for the campaign such as Shahid Afridi, Singer Shehzad Roy, Member of National Aseemblies etc.

#BringBackOurGirls #BringBackOurGirls 300 Nigerian girls were kidnapped by an extremist group ‘’Boko Haram’’ Hashtag#bringbackourgirls, went viral in April and by May began to spawn street protests in London and New York. The campaign was initiated by an NGO runner Jibran Ibrahim which is why this protest comes under the 2 nd paradigm.E- mails, social networks, TV channels were used as the tool. The campaign spread so widely on Digital media that even celebrities and top ranked people indulged into it on social media

#WeAreAllMonkeys Barcelona defender DaniAlves sparked a social media campaign against racism in football as support flooded in from fellow professionals for his decision to eat at banana thrown at him by an opposition fan. The campaign went on a grander level when his teammate Neymar Jr. and the whole Barca club supported him to the fullest. They initiated hashtag#WeAllAreMonkey s and later every common person backed them

Advantages and Disadvantages: It is easy to make it as a digital activist, as it is just a few clicks away. It transcends barriers and could reach audience beyond your wildest dreams. It is easy to interact with supporters if you are famous personality. People can be influenced very easily. In my opinion, it is a good tool to spread ideas, to create awareness and start discussions. If we talk about cons we can easily say, they appear on the public radar once certain celebrities or influential people are involved in it. However, there is one theme that mostly all digital activism, they can be misleading. And almost like everything in the world, But its major flaw is that it is shallow. It lacks vision and even if started with one, it would fade away over some time. Some cases start with good intentions, but soon after that it fades, due to people with no deep understanding. Digital activism still seems to be flourishing.

DIGITAL CONVERGENCE

The term "digital convergence" means the ability to view the same multimedia content from different types of devices. Meaning the digitization of content (movies, pictures, music, voice, text) and the development of connections methods. Reading s on your TV via a connected smartphone, watch a streaming movie on the home theater connected to the Internet. Digital convergence simplifies our life into our living room.

2 types of convergence Converged Devices Converged Applications

CONVERGENCE OF 4 INDUSTRIES Digital convergence refers to the convergence of four industries into one conglomerate, ITTCE:  Information Technologies  Telecommunication (IT to telecommunication)  Consumer Electronics (IT to Consumer electronics)  Entertainment (IT to entertainment )

EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL THINGS

DISADVANTAGES  Due to compact and fast access to information regardless of the place there are less job opportunities.  People are more likely to rely on technology than on their own skills.  Procrastination might prevail which can affect the output of any task.

ADVANTAGES  Any reasonably powerful computer, smartphone can be used as an entertainment center.  People can get information anytime, anywhere because the cellphone is the single most personal machine people keep with them all the time  The use of digital appliances like laptops, microwave ovens, automatic washing machines has lessened people’s work on so many levels.