The Global Village
An illusion of peace and prosperity
Has anyone ever been to a village before?
Many have not. But whenever the word ‘village’ is brought up, people almost always think of a community living in simpler times. A place where people can get along and co-exist. It is essentially a nostalgic word that alludes to a happy place. Add ‘global’ to it and you have the ‘global village’.
It just sounds so nice.
In reality, our ‘global village’ is dysfunctional and riddled with conflict. The United Nations is powerless. Inequality is on the rise whilst fundamentalism — strict adherence to an idea, is spreading.
Marshall McLuhan, a renowned intellectual in the 20th century, was well ahead of his time when he said “the global village insures maximal disagreement on all points”(p.108, McLuhan& Moos, 2014). The integration of technology and communication across the world has made information readily accessible to more people than generations ago. Whereas a person in the early 20th century would only be exposed to a small set of beliefs, today, the modern individual is constantly attacked with information through new media.
Social media, TV, radio and the omnipresent internet — you can find anything, anywhere. The question is what happens when your ideals are challenged by the information you are presented?
Is there a God? You can quickly find information which either confirms or denies your beliefs. Don’t like the idea that the Russians were complicit in the downing of MH17? Go online and read the Russian Times. A casual search on any debate in any online forum will show people citing a variety of sources which all support their own views. Even better, try having a ‘discussion’ with someone you know has widely different views to you.
Today, people are more connected and informed but also less tolerant. Contemporary media promotes connectivity but also polarisation. It is a dangerous mix. The global village as we imagine it to be — may not be as appealing in reality.
Bibliography
McLuhan, M & Moos, M. (2014). Media Research: Technology, Art and Communication. Routledge.
