As the internet and all of its many functions continue to change, the link between the internet and participatory culture has continued to grow stronger. In recent years, the explosion of social networking sites alone serves as sufficient evidence of the ever-increasing sense of community and convergence experienced online. We are currently seeing a trend in which different online communities are popping up everywhere. Whatever your niche is, chances are you can find a group of people involved with some form of social networking site, who share your same interest. These communities stretch beyond common interest and into a realm of intimate personal communication and connection. In this essay, I will examine a fantasy football league and how this an example of participatory culture and media convergence experienced online. While this may seem trivial on the surface, I will use examples from our class readings, videos, and discussions to demonstrate how a fantasy football league facilitates an intimate level of personal communication through different media platforms for those involved.
I am personally in a fantasy football league that is hosted by Yahoo. For the purpose of this essay, it is important to understand the basics on how a fantasy football league works. There are fourteen people in my league. The first step towards creating your fantasy football team is the draft. This step also requires everyone in the league to be online at the same time. We picked a time when everyone was free and could be in front of a computer. The draft picks are generated randomly. If you are lucky enough to draw the first round selection, you draft your first player then watch as the other thirteen people select their first pick respectively. This process continues until everyone has selected their entire roster. It took us about an hour and a half to complete. The fantasy season correlates with the NFL’s season. Every week, you play a different person from your league. The players you drafted acquire your points according to their performance on the field that week. For example, your quarterback will put up one point for every twenty passing yards he has. He will give you three points every time he throws for a touchdown. Points are deducted from negative stats, such as interceptions. When all of your players have completed their games you will win your matchup for the week if they had better performances than your fantasy opponent’s.
The interaction among fantasy league members does not stop once you have selected your team. Rosters can constantly change because you can make trades with other people. You can propose a trade to anyone and they can accept or deny your offer. There is even a “trash talk” link available to show you who else is signed into their fantasy account, if you wish to make some friendly conversation with them. Fantasy football is an excellent example of convergence culture, especially when it comes to different media platforms. Since I have joined a fantasy league, I am incapable of watching a football game on television without my computer right by my side. The internet is now pivotal to my football viewing experience because I can keep track of my weekly matchup as it is played out. If my running back scores a touchdown, I stare at my computer screen for the five seconds it takes to credit his points to my team total with an application called stat tracker. Stat tracker also allows me to view all the details of every other match up in the league. I have two roommates who are also in my league, so every Sunday and Monday night you will find three people watching television with three laptops close at hand.
This example of media convergence focuses primarily on the fusion of two different technologies. Jenkins states that convergence is less about technology and more about communication. He believes that, “Convergence occurs within the brains of individual consumers and through their social interactions with others” (Jenkins, 3). I believe convergence is about both the physical technologies and thoughts and interactions. There is no convergence without cognition. People must identify how to use converging technologies before they can interact with others within their context. I can interact with people without using technology. If I do not understand how to utilize a computer to set up a fantasy team, I cannot interact with people within that specific social network comprised of converging mediums. Both parts are equally necessary. The converging technologies facilitate a place for interaction.
One part of the Wesch lecture at the Library of Congress particularly stood out to me. Towards the end of the presentation he showed a compilation of different individual’s hands. All the hands had text written on the inside with a general theme of unity. Some of the hands read things like: “one world”, “we are all connected,” and “come together.” In this instance, I felt like seeing was more powerful than hearing. It was useful to include because sometimes simple imagery has a more lasting impression than words from a man behind a podium. The imagery encompassed his main idea. The internet, through many different outlets and forums is increasingly contributing to a community where users feel personally connected with each other. It is becoming more and more intimate.
`In his lecture, Wesch stated that when media changes, human relationships will also change. This perfectly encompasses the entire idea of convergence culture. Technology is not killing personal human communication. It is enhancing it in every way it possibly can. As I mentioned previously, we must first identify the change and familiarize ourselves with it. If you can do that, you will find that a sense of community and connection will open itself in ways that you never would have imagined.
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