Media, Technology, and the

Internet
Dimensions of Globalization

Politics

GLOBALIZATION

Economics Cultural
Learning Targets

● overview of cultural globalization

● evolution of human
communication/connectedness
● impact: positive and negative
Globalization entails the spread of:

● culture
○ Hollywood films
○ Japanese animes
○ Chinese cuisine
○ Korean music
○ Sports
● ideas
○ human rights
○ laws
○ LGBTQ+ movement
○ Feminism
○ Religion
Cultural Globalization

the process whereby information, commodities and images that have been
produced in one part of the world enter into a global flow that tends to
‘flatten out’ cultural differences between nations, regions and
individuals
Cultural Globalization

● The spread of culture and ideas

relies on human connection
○ facilitated by communication
● Globalization relies on media as
its main conduit for the spread
of culture and ideas globally
○ media: "a means of conveying
something, such as a channel of
communication"
○ A person is a medium
Media

● Media: technologies of mass

communication
● print media
○ books
○ magazines
○ Newspapers
● broadcast/electronic media
○ radio
○ film
○ Television
● digital/internet media
○ internet
○ mobile communication
○ email
○ social media
Evolution of Media
oral communication
● human speech is the oldest and
most enduring of all media
● allowed humans to share
information, cooperate,
communicate
● oral tradition
● relied heavily on human memory:
limited and unreliable
script
● overcame the disadvantages of
oral communication
● allowed humans to communicate
and share knowledge and ideas
over much larger spaces and
across much longer times
● cave -> stone -> animal skin ->
leaves -> paper
Evolution of Media

Printing Press

● facilitated the information revolution

● writing was a cumbersome process
○ expensive
○ time-consuming
○ elite dominated
● the introduction of the printing press
allowed information/communication to be
reproduced and circulated widely
○ books, pamphlets, and flyers were published
○ literacy increased
○ schools flourished
○ knowledge was shared
Evolution of Media

electronic media digital media

● the use of electricity ● more activities

● it allowed both text and ○ watch, listen, show, send
speech to be spread ● global audience
● the exchange of ● individual is the main
information is instant actor
● wider audience ● mobile communication
● telegraph, telephone, ● email
radio, film, and ● social media
television ● internet
How do new forms of media shape human life?

It reorients human activities

● the changes in media shape social
behavior
○ oral to script: memory to writing
○ script to print: writing to production of
knowledge
○ electronic/digital media: multitasking
● television: dining table to living room
● smartphone: communicate, learn,
entertain, etc in a room
● the message and technology make social
change possible
● case: Netflix
How do new forms of media shape human life?

It amputates and enhances human senses

● oral to script/print: there is no
necessity to sharpen human memory
● electronic/digital media: multitasking
○ distractions
○ dulls communication
● new skills are learned
○ language: music, movies, film
○ broadens minds: exposure to diverse cultures
○ new technology entails enhanced technical
skills
● case: video games
How do new forms of media shape human life?
It removed barriers
● new forms of media allow instant exchange of information without the
need for "middlemen"
○ individual-to-individual
● instantaneous and transcends boundaries
● communication
○ less reliance on courier services to deliver mails
○ can communicate without telephone operators
○ boundaries are of no consequences
● commerce
○ customers can purchase from manufacturers directly
○ digital commerce: Ebay, Amazon, Shopee, Lazada
○ delivery is worldwide
● case: webinars
How do new forms of media shape human life?

It "killed" distance
● the volume and speed of communication and information exchange today
shortened distance between humans
○ geography
○ Connection
○ there is a vanishing of ideas such as "home," "abroad," "near," and "far"
● instantaneous communication: proximity
● teleconferencing (Zoom and Google Meet): virtual work and
cooperation
● digital commerce: virtual marketplace
○ direct interaction between buyers and sellers
● consumption of shared interests (movies, music, food, ideas):
feeling of connection
○ "imagined community"
● Case: fandoms
Media, Technology, and the
Internet
CASE: Digital Media

Digital media, specifically social media, have both

beneficial and negative effects.

Positive

● democratized access to information and communication

○ accessible news and information
○ convenient means to connect with people
○ people are consumers and producers of information/content
● Self-expression
○ Share personal thoughts, experiences
○ Boosts creativity
CASE: Digital Media

● as a means of check-and-balance
○ social/political criticism
○ government accountability
○ Uprisings
● provides space for the "voiceless"
○ activists
○ LGBTQ, abused women, indigenous peoples, migrant workers
○ small enterprises
CASE: Digital Media

Negative

● surveillance and the disregard for privacy

○ online sites trace your information
○ individuals, companies, and governments exploit personal information
● it promotes social bubbles
○ people place themselves in "bubbles" wherein they are surrounded by
content and people they like
○ echo chamber: reinforces one's existing beliefs and opinions
○ it leads to segmentation/division among people
○ herd mentality
CASE: Digital Media

● mental health problems

○ peer pressure
○ pressure to succeed
○ Toxicity
● slacktivism
○ there is no more effort to effectively work towards
social change
○ keyboard warriors
CASE: Digital Media

● Exploit vulnerable population

○ terrorism
○ Cults
○ Paedophile
● tool of the powerful and the rich to spread
disinformation
○ online trolling is used to shape public opinion
○ disinformation is used to spread wrongful information as a form of
propaganda
○ government critics are targeted
Recap

● How do new forms of media shape human life?

○ It reorients human activities
○ It amputates and enhances human senses
○ It removed barriers
○ It "killed" distance
● Global Village: Good or Bad?
○ cultural homogeneity vs cultural heterogeneity
● Digital media, specifically social media, have both
beneficial and negative effects.
Thank you for listening!