Marty de Jesus

B14

De Rebus Orbis Terrarum

Globalization is a concept that has a profound impact not only on my life, but also

on that of my family’s. My parents generally think that people my age are more affected

by globalization, specifically in the cultural aspect due to our hobbies or beliefs about

the world, but in this world, people of all ages are affected by it, both positively and

negatively, and not just in the cultural aspect but in the political and economic ones as

well. In our case, the way we live is not necessarily only dictated by our will or

choices, but by larger society in general, which includes all these aspects of

globalization.

Economic globalization, though something which existed in many forms

throughout history, has been most profoundly experienced in this era due to a new

efficiency of transportation and communication. My country is an example of a part of

this interconnected order, wherein most people live off each other’s work or labor, such

as the food we eat and the materials we consume. It is also influenced by the

economies of other countries, in the many different international organizations and

foreign direct investment. However, economic globalization can lead to a lack of self-

sufficiency and countries that do not have a solid economy can be made poorer or

richer by stronger ones, leading to a lack of independence as well. In the context of my

family, we are also like ordinary citizens of the Philippines wherein we live under these

structures, consume gas, pay bills, etc., and are affected by rising or declining price
rates. Since my family owns a side business as well, its conduction must take note of

the economic conditions, not only of the country in the general region it is marketed to.

Political globalization is another aspect that is profoundly experienced in our

society, as due to historical events and new balances of power, most countries are

becoming more democratic and aim to foster a collaborative spirit between each other.

However, these effects can also become negative at times such as the fact that

democratic governments, though considered the standard nowadays, are not always

conducive to social progress in all contexts especially in countries without a solid middle

class, and politically weaker countries can sometimes be manipulated by stronger ones

with specific agendas. My family as Filipino citizens feel the effects of this kind of

globalization, participate in elections, and try to stay updated on news. However, as

individual people, we do not really have that much control over things that are larger

than us, an example being the results of the recent elections, though they picked a

different candidate.

The last aspect of globalization is in culture, which unlike the two previously

mentioned aspects, is more visible in day-to-day life. Since majority of people my age

are internet users, concepts and hobbies learned from the internet and cultural

globalization in general are popular, such as music, sports, and video games, e.g., my

family being a big Golden State Warriors fan. It is also easier nowadays to be in touch

with the norms of global society in general due to the internet, which has its own pros

and cons as well. Social media, though a tool of great usefulness, is widely being used

to create ideological factions and echo chambers that divide people. I myself (and my

family as well based on our arguments from time to time) have been part of this
problem, as it is very easy as a teenager to get caught up in random internet ideologies

and think with prejudice against those who are not like minded, rather than showing

compassion to others or actually thinking critically about these ideas.

To summarize, these three aspects of globalization have been impactful to me

and my family, as citizens of the Philippines and individual people as well, and though

globalization due to having both pros and cons is neither necessarily good or bad in

itself, it is important for us to determine what is positive and negative, and to be able to

wisely navigate life based on them.