Media power in digital Asia: Super apps and megacorps

Area of Science:

• Media Studies
• Technology Studies
• Sociology of Technology

Background:

• The media and technology sectors are undergoing significant global shifts in ownership and conglomeration.
• The rise of 'megacorps' and 'super apps' represents new forms and centers of media power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the emergence and impact of megacorps and super apps, particularly in Asia.
• To examine how these entities shape social, cultural, and political dynamics worldwide.
• To connect these developments with theories of monopoly capital and platform studies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of global ownership and conglomeration trends in media and tech.
• Case studies of prominent Asian digital companies (Reliance, SoftBank, Tencent, Alibaba, Transsion).
• Engagement with scholarship on conglomerates, monopolies, and digital platforms.

Main Results:

• The pairing of megacorps and super apps is creating powerful digital companies with global influence.
• Media power in the digital age is shaped by both global scale imperatives and national/regional differences.
• These companies significantly influence social, cultural, and political spheres.

Conclusions:

• A renewed engagement with monopoly capital theories is needed to understand megacorps.
• Super apps offer a lens to examine consumer and citizen experiences of digital monopolies.
• Digital media power is a complex interplay of global ambitions and local specificities.