The Effects of Globalization - Essay Example

The youth society exhibits the likelihood of being affected more by globalization because of the dynamic thinking that governs youth. Globalization has resulted in forming of new youth cultures that were not perceived in the traditional setting. This paper will describe the effects of globalization on emerging new cultures. Globalization serves to transform a society from a traditional setting to the level of a modern society. Culture determines the identity of many people in the standard set and the kind of relationships developed by those people.

However, globalization introduces new systems, such as modern education, transport, and communication systems, that can potentially impart change to traditional communities. The focus on the youth and how globalization transforms their lives reveal interesting patterns that can be critical in anthropological analysis. This paper will consider the emerging ideologies of identity exhibited by youth and how the marketing systems have focused on the child as a target market for different products because of modern consumerism patterns (Kjeldgaard and Askegaard, 2006).

Globalization and globalization have altered the youth’s perception of the self. Globalization has allowed the child to experience this phase of life amidst a surging increase in media content. Many of these youths face the challenge of role models from the older generations, and the increasing dynamics in the current trends increase the uncertainty with which they approach life. The youth culture has plunged into an identity crisis as globalization takes a toll on societies.

The cultural setting has affected the reception of the emerging trends, defining unique youth identities in each cultural unit (Kjeldgaard and Askegaard, 2006). Over time, the change in identity perception seems to be adopting an individualized manner, while in other cases, the change affects a particular cultural setting. Some youths have exhibited the capacity to define individual identity. In some other cases, globalization motivates the child of a particular culture to display specific attributes collectively.

Globalization has increased media forms and a diverse range of media content targeting different people in any society (Alim, 2011). The media has been keen to supply the youth cultures with content that captures their attention. The media has altered the perception of identity among youth cultures because of its ever-increasing influence. From different media forms, the youth become consumers of the new ideologies defining aspects such as dressing, and fun activities, factors that have affected self–perception and hence their identity (Kjeldgaard and Askegaard, 2006).

There is evidence that the identity of youth cultures depends on the stage of the post-colonial period that defines each society. The rate of modernization determines the extent of change of the ideologies that define identity. Consumer modernity has altered how the youth consume different categories of goods. Marketing and media systems have demonstrated an awareness of the dynamism with which children are likely to consume other products. This is evident through the formation of products and explicit marketing strategies to influence consumerism trends. As Liechty (1995) observed, marketers have developed tactful advertisement modes that convert youth cultures into consumers, as illustrated in the use of the teen magazine in placing adverts for the youth. The youth are heavy consumers of fashion products of a diverse range according to their formed identity. Moreover, they consume products and services associated with the ‘fast life’ that modernity presents, such as a busy nightlife in clubs, ease of travel and communication. Youth cultures also exhibit consumerism attributes centred on want and lack (Alim, 2011).