Globalization and New Media

Within conversations regarding the effects of technological development and their effects on human behavior, particularly their effects on human transnational interaction, the results are often viewed favorably. Technology is usually accredited for providing us with the tools for which to communicate globally for a fraction of the time and resources that doing so previously demanded. Subsequently, some would argue, technology has given individuals the opportunity to connect with people from wildly different backgrounds and provided those who may not be able to afford the luxury of traveling the ability to broaden their worldview and become cultured and inclusive members of society. Yet there are others who argue against this notion and believe that, though the potential for these outcomes exists, this is not what is supported in the results.

Media theorist, Marshall McLuhan (1964), is one such critic of the notion that the form of globalization provided to us by ever-increasing technological advancements is beneficial to society, especially in regards to smaller clusters of cultures. McLuhan coined the term ‘global village’ which he used to describe what he observed as ‘the simplification of the whole world into one village through the use of electronic media’ (McLuhan, 1964). It was his belief that due to the almost instantaneous nature of how information is shared from every corner of the globe and every point in time, technology has contracted our perception of the globe and turned it into the size of a village. Physical distance is no longer viewed as a hindrance as being mentally connected becomes ever more important than being physically connected thanks, in large part, to social media platforms that have taken the place of being universal hubs for interacting with almost everyone with a connection to the internet.

The implications surrounding new media and globalization are further explained by neo-Marxist Althusser (2001) and the institutions he labeled as ‘Ideological State Apparatuses’ which he described where responsible for the process of norms and values considered socially acceptable for the context that the individuals are in, being indoctrinated into them via the structures within society, such as the media. It was Althusser’s belief that this form of socialization would mean that the beliefs of the dominant social class would trickle down to influence the beliefs of the rest of society. In the context of the digital age, this would mean that social media platforms would be the Ideological State Apparatus used to promote the values and beliefs of western society at the determent of other cultures and their own personal sets of beliefs and values.

Antonio Gramsci (2009) explains that, though the dominant force of power within society’s social hierarchy is often the minority, they maintain their power and influence by as natural and thus universal as evidenced by global companies such as Apple, Google, Disney and McDonalds who make no attempt at adapting their brand to fit into the society they are selling to and often run the same advertisements they would in their domestic market which is referred to by sociologist George Ritzer as “The McDonaldization of Society” (Ritzer, 1993). After conducting their own independent research surrounding the topic, researchers Hill and Hughes (1997) also noted that, though advertised as being a compilation of all of the world’s societies knowledge and information, this was not the case. Instead, they found that 78% of political opinions expressed online where in line with the beliefs of mainstream America.

From the evidence discussed, it is apparent that more needs to be done in order for social media platforms and the internet as a whole to be the multi-cultural hub that it is often made out to be. Digital companies should be held accountable for their efforts in making their products as multi-cultural as possible so that the more diverse elements of the world are easily accessible and readily available.

REFERENCES

Althusser, L. (2001). Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays. US: Monthly Review Press.

Gramsci, A. (2009). Gramsci: Pre-Prison Writings. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press, pp.305–310.

HILL, K. and HUGHES, J. (1997). Computer-Mediated Political Communication: The USENET and Political Communities. Political Communication, 14(1), pp.3–27.

McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media. Toronto: Toronto Education Quarterly, pp.164–170.

Ritzer, G. (1998). The McDonaldization thesis. London: SAGE Publications.