Role of Media and Telecommunications in Globalisation
Media refers to the technological integration of sound, data and voice networks in order to form new communication networks. Telecommunication is the exchange of information between different people in different geographical location; it uses communication technology and channels to transmit information through electric signals. Globalisation is the shrinking of the world political boundaries to accelerate the rate of flow of money, goods people and culture across the world. Media and telecommunication are vital basis for human existence. Through the help of media and telecommunication, people are more connected than ever and this has increased the social, political, economic, and environmental understanding among the countries across the globe. Thus, the impact of media and telecommunication on globalisation cannot be underestimated. This paper focuses on the role of media and telecommunication in the verge globalisation in order to show that the two have come a long way to enhance growth and development of emerging markets and practices along with other globalisation aspects.
Telecommunication has created a new kind of interaction across the global network. The network has increasingly expanded the interdependency and connections between the individuals. This has important implications particularly on students regarding how they share, consume, and produce information. Telecommunication has created a favourable platform where students are able to share knowledge, and interact with other students. Lecturers and tutors have a better platform where they can interact with students and conduct their teaching. Students also acquire knowledge through telecommunication. For instance, it is through telecommunication that various knowledge platform have been availed to people, such platforms include Google, Google scholar, yahoo questions and answers among others. People in different continents can share information and thus, telecommunication has globalized learning by providing education platforms where can interact to share knowledge. Eventually, it is realistic to argue that media and telecommunication is the mother of globalisation.
Media and telecommunication has increased understanding among the global nations. The understanding is economic, political, and social. This is enhanced through the expansion of internationalism, which provides more awareness about the differences, and similarities of the political and cultural systems of the global nations. The understanding brings across peaceful coexistence between the world nations thus promoting trade, cultural and political interaction. Through media, people in different parts of the global are able to learn and understand the rights, limitations, rulers and regulations of different citizens of different countries. This enhances understanding and respect of people’s rights. Thus, it eliminates the areas of conflicts that may arise as people interact economically, socially and politically.
Worldwide scholars argue that the current expansion of goods, technology, and capital is attributed to the interaction of the global countries through political social and economic platforms. Through media, people are in an upper hand to learn what other people in different part of the world are doing and thus they are able to improve their lifestyle. It is evident that people’s lifestyle in particular area or country in the world is shaped by the global event that are taking place. Thus, mass media is a channel through which people are learning new lifestyle resulting to civilization and modernization.
International news flow and news agencies forms part of mass media, it has played a big role in globalisation. The two are termed as globalisation thesis, which are closely tied to the western modernization and have endeavoured in the expansion of communication media since 19th century. The media is assigned a vital role of spreading the global agenda for instance the decision made by the United Nations and the international criminal courts. This is a very important role since such bodies are unify and most country in the world are members to these unifying organizations. The media also airs tragedy cases that happens across the globe for instance, floods, draughts, aircrafts accidents, sinking of mega ships just to mention a few. This is vital since it calls global attention by informing people what is happing. The media also creates a platform where the global population can offer support to victims of such tragedy for example, the general population provides technical and material support to such victims. Therefore, media and globalisation are inseparable since the globe depends on media for information and news. The media has many ways of passing informing across the world for example, newspapers, news, and journals. This unites the world and makes a village where people care and help each other at times of difficulties.
Telecommunication and mass media has led into cultural globalisation. For instance, in the 1990s some countries experiences a shift from the neo-Marxist cultural imperialism to a multi-directional flows. For example, the United States has managed to immigrants and some states that joined to adopt the set American culture. In Europe, people are taking initiative to learn Chinese language; the Chinese also introduced European languages into their learning institutions. More surprisingly, Swahili a language from eastern African has been adopted in Europe and Asia. For example, Swahili is being learned in Italy and in China. That is a clear depiction that in the verge of globalisation, language sharing and learning is a major characteristic that has been made possible through telecommunication.
Apart from language, dressing as part of culture has been globalized. African, Asians, American, and Europeans have greatly borrowed from each other in terms of clothing. For instance, Africans have adopted Chinese mode of clothing making clothes that have Chinese collar. Europeans and Americans have also adopted the African mode of dressing for example; Chinese have adopted the Shaka Nzuru mode of dressing. The Nigerian, Ghanaian and the Maasai jewellery are other important examples. This is enabled by the media, which airs conduct programs that ventures into different culture mode of dressing. Therefore, through media cultural integration has been achieved.
Telecommunication has helped to reduce the distance and cost of communication, this is through the implementation of new technologies that have permitted cost reduction in communications. Such cost reduction technologies include internet, TV satellite, and computerized technology. The new technology has significantly reduced the cost of communication thus, creating links between countries and continents. The communication has additionally reduced the cost of communication since one does not necessarily have to travel. Thus, the mushrooming of new communication technology has created a global village whereby people interconnected by media and telecommunication. Telecommunication and media are the throbbing heart of globalisation.
The impact of the telecommunication on globalisation is immense; this is supported by the fact that countries in the third world just like those in the second and first world have adopted digital lifestyle. This has revolutionized exchange of international information since it has the ability to transfer data across the borders. In the 21st century, the word has marked an expansion of internet. Currently, there are more than two billion internet users across the globe. This is also reflected in the increase in search engines such as Mozilla Firefox, chrome among others. This has marked an expansion in globalisation because internet is one of the leading global medium. However, the global medium portrays some inequalities since the first world countries have a large number of internet users compared to the second world and third world countries. It is promising that in the near future world will be more globalized than it is today due to the increasing number of mobile, affluent and highly educated people who are more conversant with the internet. Therefore, telecommunication has been the driving force of globalisation.
Mass media has imparted on globalisation by enhancing and promoting economic integration among the global countries. Economic growth heavily relies on media for promotion, advertisements, reminding customers about the product and introducing a new product in the market. Multinational companies such as the Coca-cola Company, eBay among other use media to get their products in the global markets. Therefore, mass media is vital platform through which global economic integration takes place. Countries develop economic understanding through mass media and telecommunication. With the development of Marconi wireless Telegraph company economic integration has marked great advancement. It is worth noting that the economic integration break through was achieved through the internet and telecommunication. This was through the online shopping websites and wireless money transfer. Thus, world is economically integrated through mass media and telecommunication.
Telecommunication access is vital to the development of all aspects of a nation’s economy may it be education, banking, government, agriculture, and manufacturing. This is well reflected on how the countries interaction through globalisation. Research from word bank states that for every one US dollar invested in telecommunication, it generates six US dollar as economic return. Many people have invested in telecommunication meaning that a large number of people across the world are using telecommunicating for their daily undertakings. Across the world, telecommunication is experiencing tremendous growth. This implies that telecommunication networks have made it possible for most developing countries to contribute and participate in the world’s economy. Some of the ways that telecommunications has imparted in the world’s economy could not be achieved if it were not for telecommunication technology advancements.
For personal advancement and economic success, internet and communication tools such as telephones are vital. Internet advent has been described as a significant tool for society and for the advance of personal computer. Internet serves a variety of functions. Such functions include electronic market place, virtual community, entertained centre, information source among others. All these internet provisions are shared across the globe since internet is the world meeting point. Mass media and telecommunication have globalized the world since it is possible for the global population to get entertained through the YouTube. Additionally, through the internet people can create business and facilitate delivery of vital primary services such as education and health. It is through communication and media that such elements have emerged and grown around the world. They have played a huge role in enhancing globalisation.
In conclusion, from the above discussion it is evident that mass media are paramount to the world’s globalisation. Globalisation has been characterized by emerging markets and practices where the universe is eventually becoming a small global village. Mass media and telecommunication provides a platform where people across the globe are able to interact socially, economically, and politically. This interaction comes along with advantages and drawbacks but the advantages surpass the drawbacks. For the peaceful coexistence of the world, nation’s globalisation is a vital necessity that cannot be left out. This is because it brings across clearer understanding of world nation thus promoting political social and economic development. Thus, mass media and telecommunication has played an immense role in the world globalisation.
