Formation of sociological views on the processes of media convergence

The purpose of this article is to examine the process of emergence and views of foreign and Russian researchers on the problem of the processes of media convergence. Focuses on the sociological aspect of the phenomenon. Provided basic concepts, the trends and prospects in the study of media convergence as a modern phenomenon. Rethinking the concept of convergence began with the publications in which knowledge and technology have been named as key components of future economy, convergence has become a phenomenon to be reckoned with, which will soon become a defining concept in the context of globalization. Considering the media environment as a system consisting of means of communication, foreign sociologists have radically changed the view of modern media, of their possibilities, their degree of influence on the society. The impact of media convergence on the life of each person, his worth in society, his mind, the ways of communication, to the professional world, and to leisure is only a part of important research areas. In general, the history of the development of sociological views on the processes of media convergence adjusts to multicontextual in the study of media. Today should be studied in the aggregate of all modern scientific disciplines, in both theoretical and practical applied aspects. In the end, the author has compiled a table that presented the stages of development of sociological views on the processes of media convergence with a brief description of each of them. The main trends and promising sociological research relevant to the challenges of the present time.