THE GLOBAL MEDIA AND ICT

WEAVING MEDIA, GLOBALIZATION AND ICT

Globalization, Media and Communication Technology Intertwined in the Creation a Global
Village
Globalization, Media and Communication Technology are the thre intertwining concepts in
creating a global village. Globalization coined in 1938 by a sociologist, Roland Robertson.
Robertson (1938) along the other proponent Robertson (2003) describe it a concept that
includes the physical process of interconnectedness, or compression, which implies that the
world is getting smaller: and the consciousness or awareness that we as individuals have of our
relationship to the world as a single place: thus making globalization an evolutionary process of
becoming rather than an actual state of affairs.

GLOBALIZATION AS THE GROWING INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE WORLD

Robertson's (2003) historical account of globalization claims that, while the drive to
interconnectedness is as old as human civilization. The beginnings of a global
interconnectedness can be traced around 1500 AD, to the early mappings of the world. He cites
three contemporary waves of globalization. The 'first wave was the European imperialism and
the opening up of new trade markets in the 1500 vhile the second wave emerged around 1800
is the industrial revolution driven by high imperialism. Lastly. The third wave was the American
globalism at around 1945 where it paved the way for the United States to emerge as the worlds
dominant power.

GLOBALIZATION AS THE EVOLUTION OF GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS

According to contemporary historian Robertson (2003) there is something quite distinct about
the third wave which suggests the emergence of something greater than the accident of
interconnectedness that is globality. Globality is defined as consciousness of [the problem of]
the world as a single place. Robertson clearly equates the contemporary phase of globalization,
a heightening of globality. In many respects, globality is a far more useful term than
globalization It is certainly more concrete. As a process globalization is fluid, hard to pin down
impossible to observe with any accuracy and thus pretty much meaningless from a research
point of view. Globality, by contrast is the quality of being global (Albrow 1996)

Media Spectacles
According to Claudio and Abinales (2018) Globalization entails the spread of diverse cultures
promoted in the various forms of media as a channel communication. A media theorist Marshall
McLuhan stated, the medium is the message which draw attention to how media as a form of
technology reshaping societies.
Globalization through media occurs at multiple levels of reshaping societies through social
developments, trends and struggles (Douglas, 2008) illuminated in the global market and
capitalization, individuals self-identities and citizenships, and heightened global events.
Spectacles are emotions, ideas, experiences and events exhibited to view as unusual or
entertaining.

SPECTACLE OF GLOBAL CAPITALIZATION AND GLOBAL CULTURE

The spectacle in the global and capitalization targets audience is nothing less than the world
itself (Hensh, 2011) Some countries may clamor where the popular dictates major emotions,
ideas and experiences (Kellner. 2003) as in the case of Mcdonalds as paradigm of a successful
American global capitalism at the same time an image for protest in the anti-corporate
globalization movement. There may be disadvantage points in the global popularity setting.
However, others enjoy cultural fuson along the way (Johnson, Cited in Dixon, 2009)
Cultural fusion coming from several directions and ideas such Korean Psy's song Gangnam
Style in the music industry; LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rights; Japanese brands
Hello Kitty and Pokemon and our very own Jollibee, as number one choice for food in Brunei.

SPECTACLE OF SELF-IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP

In addition, the spectacle of self-identity and citizenship includes the extent to which their
political actions and orientations relate directly to the globe rather than through the level of the
nation-state Like the bloody aftermath of US/UK Iraq invasion of 2003 was constructed and
launched as a media spectacle, a process that analyze in media spectacle and the Crisis of
Democracy. (Kellner 2005) This event created a numerous global enemies of the US and
undermined Bush Presidency

SPECTACLE OF GLOBAL EVENTS

Finally, spectacle of global event: such as the Live Aid concert, the 2004 TsuNami, September
7, 2011 Terrorist attack In the U.S., and of course, the current pandemic COVID 19 which
becomes pervasively a global concern. All of these events were somehow considered as global
problems that brought humanity closer to the 'one world’ we all share in.

THE REALM OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

At this point, it is in invitable to say the arbitrating variable between Globalization and Media is
the advancement of communication technology. The dynamic nature of Technology shattered
many media business boundaries around the globe thus propagated the idea of global village in
the year 1960 where close proximities in business operations has become a reality (Sparks.
2007).
IMPLICATIONS THE GIOBAL VILLAGE
As we walk through the final end of our discussion, let me reiterate the term global village,
introduced by Marshall McLuhan. He is Canadian-born communications theorist and professor
of English at the University of Toronto who asserted that in an age of new media technology,
‘the medium is the message’.
McLuhan illustrated a global village as a homogenized culture similar to tribal villages once sat
in front of a bonfire to listen to collective stories: the members of the new global village would sit
in front of bright boxes in their living rooms. Ultimately, global village created through media on
the advancement of technology in the global setting has its implications. These implications are
cited from Dixon (2009):

 Setting of controlled cultural Standards/ domination

 Endangerment of spoken distinct languages;
 Freedom from tyranny of geography
 Integration and cultural fusion;
 Increased responsibility to support impoverished countries:
 Establishment of enhanced system of interconnectedness
 Chaotic cultural contact: and
 Cultural clashes in diverse parenting styles.
The above cited implications have effects on human life and the world as a whole which may
lead to the impossibility of creating a global village.

Summary
Advancements and continuous changes in the global arena entail responsibilities as humans.
Without an objective and inclusive analysis of these issues through several spectacles, we will
be unprepared for the rollercoaster of cultural may hem that could inevitably ensue. If we are in
fact becoming a global village, will we be able to reach some sort of consensus about how these
issues should be addressed in order to benefit all members of our village equally? If we cannot
determine respectful Cultural boundaries in the simplest manner with regards to language
economy and basic means of survival, it is presumptuous to assume that we can identify as a
global village at all.