Effects of World Wide Web and Internet on Globalization - Essay Example

?Discuss and critically evaluate the extent to which the World Wide Web and the internet have affected globalisation Introduction Globalization and the internet are the current trends in society. Almost everything and everyone from across borders now co-exist with each other. There are McDonalds in almost all countries and corners of the globe; the products people use are made elsewhere, millions of miles away; people of different nationalities are interacting more with each other through the internet. What used to be millions of miles and plane rides away is now a simple mouse click away. Social networking has also made the world small and accessible to most individuals, regardless of their location, age, and economic status. The cost of internet connections has become cheap, allowing most individuals, regardless of economic status, to use the internet. In effect, the internet has made it easy for social, economic, and political interactions to be carried out among people from most parts of the globe. In other words, the internet has expanded the extent of globalization. This paper will discuss and critically evaluate the extent to which the World Wide Web and the internet have affected globalisation. This discussion shall start with an overview of globalization and the internet use. A critical discussion on the impact of the internet on globalisation shall follow. Finally, concluding remarks shall end and summarise the discussion. Globalisation and the Internet Overview Globalisation refers to the process of making a phenomenon, activity, or product worldwide in scope or utilization (Milward, 2003, p. 14). Generally, globalisation is also considered the process of incorporating the world closely with each other in terms of its economics, politics, and culture. The World Wide Web and the internet, on the other hand, basically refer to the interconnected global networks of computers where documents, images, messages, and similar information are transmitted electronically to each other (Bidgoli, 2004, p. 264). The internet is in many ways a tool for globalisation, expediting the process of globalisation and allowing it to reach a bigger population at a faster and more efficient pace. In effect, the internet has significantly impacted on globalisation, allowing for a more comprehensive process of globalisation to be implemented in most parts of the globe. Critical Evaluation Computers and the internet support globalization by providing major changes in the processes of communication, making geographical considerations superfluous elements in establishing collaborations and business interactions with other countries and other nationalities (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 115). Globalized computer technology has also allowed new technologies and social organizations which impact on the effectiveness of businesses and the improvement of lives of ordinary individuals. The impact of globalization, however, is based on people’s understanding of globalization, including its social and economic aspects. Globalization can be seen at the international and national level; infrastructure is also usually established nationally as people often use their telecommunication structures within their countries (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 116). These structures are crucial to the internationalization processes of globalization and other elements and issues which refer to the international operations of globalized infrastructures. Globalization is made possible by various commercial processes and incentives in the improvement of efficiency; it is also driven by the need to improve the quality of lives of individuals. The internet is a major element of current globalization practices because the internet allows for a wide and open marketplace for information, goods, and services (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 117). With the advantages of the internet, the globalized marketplace has now made possible the establishment of electronic analogues in financial practices. The internet combines researches and related technologies from various fields and disciplines. The internet also assists companies in their distributed organizational set-up with the combined technologies of the internet and the application of human supervision and related processes (Cassiman and Sieber, 2002, p. 14). Moreover, electronic customer services have now been made possible in the current age of the internet, making it easier for companies to connect with their customers and vice versa. The internet also allows opportunities for the federal government and corporations to shift to paperless transactions, resulting in significant savings, quality of services, and improvements in the quality of life (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 117). Although these are measured successes in the use of the internet, the success of the internet in commercial activities is largely based on the ability of corporations to attract all customers, even those who are not computer literate. These customers, however, may not have the same ability as other customers in using the internet, and, as a result, “without the simple interface to the digital agora, electronic commerce cannot make significant advances” (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 117). Nevertheless, with the user-friendly interfaces of the internet, more individuals, even those who are not computer literate, have now gained some form of computer literacy in order to gain improved functionality in the current age of electronic technology. As a result, more customers have now been brought into the digital world, with its expanded economic options and the market itself accommodating their diverse qualities (Brady, 2000, p. 14). In effect, the internet has allowed the economic globalization process to accommodate a diverse customer and product base, allowing an interaction carried out among corporations and customers to be more international than before. Various theories have been established on the impact of the internet on business and sales performance and on top line and the bottom line of business organizations (Avlonitis and Karayanni, 2000, p. 455). The internet seems to assist in the economic globalisation process by providing product management tools which can lead to the acceleration of innovations. With more innovations, globalisation can also be accelerated as these innovations can be used as tools for the globalised market. In this case, the internet shifts the traditional market into a more technologically-driven market (Avlonitis and Karayanni, 2000, p. 456). In effect, the internet helps corporations in the globalised setting to place their market orientation into practice. Moreover, market-driven products are often significantly impacted by the customer’s use of the internet. With greater interactivity in sales management, there is also improved customization of products, thereby allowing the customers’ needs to be met based on specific preferences (Avlonitis and Karayanni, 2000, p. 457). Additionally, through interactive connections between the buyers and sellers, routine customer services can easily be managed, which improves the responsiveness of corporations and the quality of their products, regardless of their geographical location (Verma, Upadhayay, and Bajpai, 2008, p. 227). More corporations have now prescribed to online and phone customer services for their corporations, and, in the process, they have made their products more marketable around the globe to most people with phone and internet access (Park, et.al., 2002, p. 223). The internet has also allowed for a more level playing field in the social services setting, with most students, regardless of their location and nationality, being able to access most types of information through the internet (Avlonitis and Karayanni, 2000, p. 470). In the age of globalization, new means of packaging and marketing educational products have been made available; these products help support the traditional classroom setup. Through the internet, a global access to information can be gained by all students. The educational system has now undertaken major changes through online education courses, allowing students to work part-time or even full-time and then to ‘attend’ classes online based on their schedules (Selwyn, 2008, p. 3). The current educational structure now caters to an international group of students who can access their classes and lessons anytime and anywhere. The internet has more or less levelled the playing field for students because information and knowledge has become freely accessible to most individuals. Students studying in a public school in third world countries can now access the same information available to ivy-league private schools in the US. With a globalized educational structure, various countries can improve their global competitiveness and can now build their enterprises and infrastructures in line with other industrialized countries (Klopfer, et.al., 2009, p. 4). In effect, countries like Brazil, India, and China, with strong internet-based structures can easily compete with developed countries because the foundations of their manpower have been built on the same foundations as the manpower for developed nations (Avlonitis and Karayanni, 2000, p. 470). Despite its various advantages, however, the internet can also create various problems for its users and for globalization. These issues concern confidentiality, integrity, security, responsiveness, performance, etc (Adam, et.al., 1997, p. 120). These gaps in the use of the internet allow for various fraudulent practices to be employed by internet users; the fact that the offenders may also not be limited geographically can make the apprehension of fraudulent users difficult (Haynes, 2001, p. 89). Just as the internet facilitates globalization, it has also made business issues and usage problems more globalized. Nevertheless, despite the issues associated with internet use, its usage has become more widespread, especially in recent years with the birth of the social media – Facebook, Twitter, and similar social networking sites. The internet has now allowed for the social applications of the globalisation phenomenon (Duernecker, et.al., 2010, p. 3). Initially, the social networks have catered to friendly and social interactions among users; however, most corporations have now understood the value of social networks in terms of marketing their product, in terms of receiving feedback from their customers, and in terms of reaching a bigger demographic for their products (Duernecker, et.al., 2010, p. 3). The social networks have also become tools for advertisement for various corporations. Discussions about the news, the weather, entertainment, sports, and even natural disasters can now easily be carried out within the social media and among many people across borders. An earthquake in Asia, for example, can easily be known in the US through social networks. In effect, the socialization process among internet users has allowed a more open and a more diverse interaction among them (Meden, 2009, p. 11). In so many ways, people have become less disconnected from each other. They have become less oblivious to what is happening to other people halfway around the world (Duernecker, et.al., 2010, p. 4). It is easy for the crowd to often be swept away by trending topics; however, in the end, they learn from it and experience a rich freedom and social communion in it. The internet has also allowed for political interactions among countries to become more engaged and convenient. It has become easy enough for governments to be updated about each other’s activities. The internet has also given an opportunity for the principles of democracy to be exported to other countries – to be globalised (Grosseck, 2005, p. 46). There is a contradiction between restrictive governments and the internet; although they can co-exist with each other, the basic nature of the internet will eventually prevail. As a result, those who are already enjoying democratic rule are able to take advantage of all the internet has to offer. The internet has also provided an opportunity for the consolidation of democratic ideals in governing in other countries, allowing these countries to understand how democratic ideals usually apply (Best and Wade, 2009, p. 256). The internet also brings about the so-called e-citizen, one who is involved in social media and forums where political discussions are carried out. The internet has become a powerful tool in the sharing of opinions and the critical assessment of these opinions. It has also become difficult for most governments to limit of even censor these networks; as a result, a citizen now is not just a voter but also an interactive citizen (Grosseck, 2000, p. 47). E-politics has also become more apparent because of online election campaigns as well as internet-based forums. Political competition and lobbying has, therefore, become a more electronic-based process. Aside from e-Politics, the e-State has also become possible (Grosseck, 2000, p. 47). In the current global context, due to the internet and due to economic interactions, the virtual state has come to pass. The internet has allowed for a better relationship between the government and its citizens, providing improved services, better accessibility, and improved communication among citizens and the government (Grosseck, 2000, p. 47). The internet has also allowed for less time spent on bureaucracy than before and the diminishment of corruption. The transparency for the government, not just in the domestic scene but also in the international scene, has, therefore, become more possible. In general, the processes of government have become more engaging in the age of the internet. It has allowed for governments to be in touch with their constituents; it has also allowed them to consider policies not just in their country but in the rest of the world as well (Best and Wade, 2009, p. 256). In this case, the internet has become a crucial part of governmental interactions, interconnectedness, and accountability. Conclusion The internet has become an essential part of our society today. It has become an important tool of commerce and an important tool for socialization, cultural interactions, and politics. Most corporations have recognized its use as a commercial tool and most of these corporations have gained much profit and expansion through the internet. The marketability of their products has also become easier through the internet, making it possible to advertise and market their products online with minimal cost. Social interactions have also become richer and more diverse through the internet. As a result, citizens of the world can now interact with each other and be informed about each other. Political interactions and government processes have also been made possible electronically, and it has allowed the politicians and their constituents to connect with each other, to relate with other countries, to export democracy, and to stay connected and informed about each other. In general, the internet has made the impact of globalization greater, deeper, and more extensive. It has allowed for globalization to be more diverse in terms of people affected and in terms of aspects of lives covered. References Adam, N., Awerbuch, B., Slonim,J., and Wegner, P., 1997. Globalizing business, education, culture through the internet. Communications of the ACM, 40(2), pp. 115-121. Avlonitis, G. and Karayanni, D., 2000. The impact of internet use on business-to-business marketing examples from American and European companies. Industrial Marketing Management, 29, pp. 441–459. 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