How the Internet Promotes Non Western Nations - Research Paper Example

?How the Internet Promotes Non-Western Nations The internet has without a doubt been one of the most innovative and influential pieces of technology.It has made it possible for people to reach heights that would have seemed impossible before. Much has been said about how the internet has contributed to the spread and propagation of the western culture (Schell, 2007). However, it is not only the western culture that has been impacted by the internet revolution. It is evidently clear that the internet actually has been instrumental in helping promote and strengthen the societies of non-western nations. This paper looks at how the internet phenomenon has changed how people and nations in other parts of the world live. Governance and Democratization Early this year, Egypt and parts of the Arab world experienced one of their most successful revolutions in history. This revolution was organized with the help of the internet and specifically social networking tools. The people of Egypt organized themselves and through proper coordination and communication, they were able to change their country in a manner never witnessed before in any country. This revolutionary event was seen by many as what can be achieved through people power. Without the internet the Egyptian revolution would probably have taken a very different route than it did. The Egyptians were able to push for proper leadership and their democratic rights because the internet empowered them to do so. Another country that has made major gains in the democratization process is China (Lagerkvist, 2010). The country’s leadership is slowly but surely becoming more democratic as citizens become more empowered to fight for their rights using information technology tools such as the internet. Through the internet, citizens in a country are able to know how they are being governed. Many governments have adopted the use of the internet in service dissemination. This means that citizens can access the services from the comfort of wherever they are. The internet also empowers the people to communicate more effectively with their leaders. They can give feedback on the kind of services they want and they can use the same technology to demand for changes where they deem fit to do so. In other words, the internet has enabled citizens in different countries keep track of how their governments are doing their work and this helps in the overall development of the nations (Kalathil and Boas, 2003). Learning and Development Education is key to development and this is evidenced by the rate at which countries having high literacy levels have developed. Many nations in Asia, Africa and South America have for a long time been classified at the bottom in terms of literacy. However, the situation is slowly changing as more and more people from these countries seek education in different ways. The internet has played a major role in revolutionalizing the learning and development in nations outside the West. Many learning institutions in these countries have incorporated online learning into their programmes (Schell, 2007). This makes learning more effective, thus giving students the kind of education they need to lead productive lives in future. Those seeking higher education do not have to travel long distances to do so. Renowned institutions in the west have high class programmes which they offer online. This makes it easy for individuals in other countries to access the education offered in these institutions from wherever they are. These improved educational opportunities empower societies in non-western countries to develop at the same level as their counterparts living in western nations (Howard and Jones, 2004). Business and Economic Development Most third world countries have had to struggle with the problem of unemployment for a very long time. Many youths in these parts of the world had been without any meaningful source of income before the internet age. However, things have drastically changed for the better in terms of employment opportunities among the young people in these countries. Information technology has opened up many job opportunities that are readily available to youth (Castells, 2009). This has led to innovation in many different aspects of the economy, thus helping in the overall development of the socio-economic lives of the populations in these countries. The development of online business transactions has seen many people in these countries turning to online home shopping (Litana nd Rivlin, 2001). This saves them time to do other important things and it also helps them save money for future use. The internet has also revolutionised the area of business communication. Video conferencing and telemarketing have become quite common as part of business operations. This normally has a positive impact on the overall economy of a country and the general well being of the people living in the country. The internet has also empowered people in non-western nations to get involved in online banking, something that puts them at par with the developed west (Cliche and Bonilla, 2004). Healthcare Many non-western countries, especially those in the third world have had a long history of poor healthcare service provision. This has been as a result of lack of facilities, manpower and most important of all, lack of healthcare knowledge among the population. However, the situation seems to be changing as more healthcare awareness programmes are carried in different countries. The internet has been used as a major tool to create this much needed awareness which empowers individuals to take charge of their health (Nelson, 2004). The countries that are most affected by the HIV-AIDS scourge are those found in non-western regions, mainly in the African continent. The internet and other forms of information technology have been used to create awareness of this disease, a step that has been helpful in controlling it in many affected countries. The availability of medical information on the internet has helped create healthier populations in non-western countries. People can now research on different illnesses from the comfort of their homes. This means that the level of ignorance in terms of healthcare and other medical related information has decreased. For instance, when the highly fatal swine flu broke out in East Asia, the internet was one of the tools used to spread information about how people could protect themselves from the pandemic. As a result, death was kept at a minimal level and the disease is now in control. Through the internet, people have learnt of how to take care of their health and how to get the best medical services when the need arises (Litana nd Rivlin, 2001). There is no denying that this is a positive impact that the internet has had on healthcare for societies in non-western countries. Social Communication Every society has its own unique way of communication. With the advent of the internet age, came a total about turn in how people communicate with each other. Non-western countries have not been spared this communication tide that has swept across the world. People in these countries can now enjoy better and more efficient communication due to the fact that they have access to the internet (DiMaggio, Hargittai and Neuman, 2001). Social networking and information sharing using tools such as facebook, you tube, twitter and others have enabled individuals to reach communication heights never witnessed before. People in these countries are not only able to communicate effectively among themselves, they are also able to pass on messages to individuals in different parts of the world. Being one of the most powerful communication tools available, non-western nations have utilized the internet to propagate their cultures and let the rest of the world get to know about it (Howard and Jones, 2004). The internet has also been used as a source of information that is useful for the development of communities living in non-western countries. Individuals use blog sites and commentator sites as a way of sharing important information (DiMaggio, Hargittai and Neuman, 2001). The media in these countries have also turned to the internet as one way of disseminating the information they have. This helps strengthen communities by giving them the information they need in a timely and convenient way. For instance, if there is an emergency situation in any part of the country, people are able to know about it from wherever they are and they can send in any help they can. This information helps these societies develop and learn of better ways to live their lives and carry out their daily activities. This social communication using the internet also fosters a sense of unity among the citizens of a country (Atkin, 2007). This is necessary for political piece and economic development. Negative Impacts Although the internet has enabled non-western nations to achieve many things, there is a downside to it. Just as in many western countries, the internet can and does have some detrimental effects on populations (Cavalier, 2005). Some of these effects include cultural degradation and online frauds. However, these are effects that can be mitigated through proper control systems. If this happens, then there would be no need to worry about the negative effects of online systems. In any case, the internet comes with countless positive impacts which far outweigh the negative ones. It is quite clear that the internet has not been helpful to the western nation only; it has also helped promote and strengthen non-western countries as well (Atkin, 2007). Summary and Conclusion The impact that the internet has had on societies all over the world cannot be denied. This impact is great in western nations as it is in non-western countries. People have been able to make huge socio-economic strides and other achievements by making use of the internet. In non-western societies, the internet has been able to promote the cultures, belief and traditions of these communities. It has also enabled people from different parts of the world to be at par with many of the western nations in terms of politics and democratisation, learning and development, economic development, healthcare as well as social communication. Many nations that are not part of the west have been able to develop at the same rate as these nations all thanks to the internet. Politically, countries have been able to bring about positive change in governance by making use of the communication opportunities that come with the internet. The internet has also enhanced learning and development in these countries as many more people can access learning. This leads to an empowered society that is able to meet all its needs. The internet has also led to great achievements in business and economic development. Business owners in Africa, Asia and South America have turned to the internet as they strive to catch up with their counterparts in western nations. Online transactions are common in these countries, and this helps the businesses to gain more customers than they would have managed without the internet. Online business development also contributes to a large extent to the development of the economies of these countries. The internet has also had a huge impact on the area of healthcare in non-western nations. People in these countries have acquired healthcare knowledge that has helped them live healthier lives. Social communication in these countries has also received a boost and people can easily communicate from wherever they are. The rest of the world can have access to the cultures of non-western countries by use of the internet. Although there might be some negative effects of the internet on society, these can be controlled. The positive impact that the internet has on different people is quite important and it should be encouraged. References Atkin, D. 2007. Communication Technology and Social Change: Theory and Implications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Castells, M. 2009. The internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business and Society. London: Oxford University Press Cavalier R.J. 2005. The Impact of the Internet on our Moral Lives. New York: State University of New York Press. Cliche, G. and Bonilla, M. 2004. Internet and Society in Latin America and the Caribbean. Ottawa: International Development Research Center. DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E. and Neuman, R. 2001. Social Implications of the Internet. Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 27: 307-36. Howard, P.N. and Jones, S. 2004. Society online: the Internet in Context. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Kalathil, S. and Boas, T. 2003. Open Networks, Closed Regimes: the Impact of the Internet on Authoritarian Rule. Washington, DC: Caregie Endowment for International Peace. Lagerkvist, J. 2010. After the Internet, Before Democracy: Competing Norms in Chinese Media and Society. Bern: International Academic Publishers. Litan, R.E. and Rivlin A.M. 2001. The Economic Payoff from the Internet Revolution. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution. Nelson, R. 2004. Consumer Informatics: Applications and Strategies in Cyber Health Care. New York: Springer. Schell, B.H. 2007. The Internet and Society: A Reference Handbook. 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