The world has become a global village. Today, we are connected with the entire world all the time through the television, the internet, and our social media accounts. We communicate in real time with friends and family living in different parts of the world, and even with complete strangers. We are always in touch with the world, and we get to know every time a country declares war against another, a nation is attacked, or a natural calamity strikes. We empathize with strangers in their sorrow, and we rejoice in their achievements. All these, and more, have been made possible only because of globalization, the phenomenon that began a couple of centuries back and has completely taken over the modern world.
In this article, let us see how globalization has, and continues to, impact our lives.
Global village
Today, we are all incredibly aware of what is happening anywhere around the world. The war in Syria, the Arab Spring, the Academy Awards, all of these are always fresh news to us because they are brought to us by the correspondents and live telecast, thanks to technology, right where we are. This makes us incredibly up to date with current events. Also, thanks to the fact that there are multiple news agencies across the globe, there is nothing that misses our notice anymore. The smallest of events, both in terms of scale and magnitude, are transmitted to every corner of the world.
Social awareness
The importance of the media in spreading news and facilitating globalization cannot be undermined. In fact, it is not just a device for keeping us up to date and knowledgeable about current events, although its importance cannot be stressed enough. The news media’s incessant work has also facilitated raising awareness of issues, which can lead to great social change. When we see something great taking place in some part of the world, we attempt to make it a part of our own culture as well, and this gives rise to social and political advancement. For instance, the fact that euthanasia for humans has been legalized in some parts of the world has made the other nations sit up and take notice of the validity and feasibility of the measure, and more and more countries are taking positive steps to make this a reality for themselves as well.
Personal communication
Technological advancement has allowed us to make great strides in personal communication as well. Today, we are always connected to our friends and families in various parts of the world, thanks to the telephone and social media. We can reach out to loved ones immediately and for a minimal cost any time we need, and we are also constantly updated about what is going on in their lives through social media. This ability to stay connected has made globalization an even more widespread phenomenon, and this, in turn, has broadened our social horizon and allowed us the scope to grow as individuals.
Economic opportunities
Globalization has increased our scope for earning a livelihood manifold. Today, it is highly common for people to travel and relocate to foreign countries in search for employment and education. With communication so convenient, the world has truly become our oyster. We can easily look for opportunities elsewhere and take them as they come. We can pursue disciplines and work fields of our own choice in other countries if we do not find ample opportunity in our own.
Free trade
Globalization has immensely helped in the building and spreading of business. Although the topic is controversial with its own set of pros and cons, globalization has given rise to the concept of free trade. Free trade has allowed businesses to set up manufacturing and administrative units outside of their home ground. This has led to the spreading of the business, increasing its market, diminishing costs, and creating a lot of employment for nations which are often otherwise starved for job opportunities. Although there is a lot of downside to this aspect of globalization, the positive impact is makes on local and global economies cannot be undermined.
Globalization truly began when the imperialist forces of the world began to make a foray into lesser known territories and attempted to establish colonies. The intermingling of cultures led to the first intercultural relationships, and ever since, the world has experienced a mixing of various cultures. What began as domination has grown to encompass imbibing of different cultural traits, to the extent that a number of cultural peculiarities have transformed into global phenomena. This process has been further facilitated by technological advancements, and we have become, truly, a global community.