It’s a small world after all

What I’m actually talking about is something that we’ve all probably heard about – globalisation.

FYI, globalisation is the integration of economies, societies and cultures through communication. It is a convergence of the world’s resources, ideas, cultures.

This video pretty much sums everything up in a short and succinct manner!

There are 3 different technological stages of globalisation:

Generation 1.0 ( 1492 – 1800):

• Shrank the world from a size large to a size medium.
• Global integration driven by countries and government only.

Generation 2.0 ( 1800 – 2000):

• Shrank the world from a size medium to a size small.
• Global  integration driven by multinational companies (MNCs).

Generation 3.0 ( 2001 – present):

• Shrank the world from a small to tiny.
• Global  integration driven by individuals.

Living in Generation 3.0 means that in this present day and age,

1. Have easier access to more digital content worldwide. Information is virtually accessible

2. We are all able to go global ourselves, we don’t have to rely on countries, governments or companies to do so.This is facilitated by advances in communication technology and introduction of social media platforms such as instant messaging tools (Windows Live Messenger), video-conferencing softwares (Skype, SightSpeed) , etc.

A video about SightSpeed!

3. We can author our own content in digital form

4. We are able to interact communicate instantaneously with people from all over the world using a variety of digital forms and media, breaking the traditional barriers of language and cultural differences.

Such methods allow us to be connected to each other in ways that were not possible before. For example, photo sharing websites such as Flickr allow people to share their works online without much regard for language differences. Online forums also allow people of similar interests to come together, regardless of cultural and geographical distances.

For myself, I am an active member of several Korean music forums such as 2oneday and Soompi. In these forums, news and information is shared by different users. Desktop wallpaper, avatar and icon designs are also actively shared and critiqued by the forums members. The coming together of these global netizens demonstrates an example of cultural globalisation.

5. There is more global competition. For example, more students in the USA are turning to online tutors from far-off places such as India. Once again, distance is not a factor. They feel that with technology, online tutoring can be as comfortable and effective as physical tutoring.

With technology flattening the global market, anyone with the talent and internet connection has an opportunity to compete in the world’s new level playing field. Physical distance has become immaterial. Our own strengths and capabilities are what sets us apart and empowers ourselves for global integration.