The Effect of Mass Media on Globalization - Assignment Example

 The Effect of Mass Media on Globalization Globalization is the result of integration of the interchange of socio political ideas, economic views, products, business exchanges and world views. It is the mutual dependence of economic and cultural activities facilitated by development in infrastructure, internet, and the advancements in technology. It is the exchange of film, theatre, music and information. All this has turned out to be the result of investment in global capitalism, advanced and efficient technologies and transformations of the global television. The leniency in the laws regarding media and commercialization of the global television has led to the widespread usage of cable and satellite channels that have in turn promoted globalization and free exchange of ideas. The turning point for globalization has been the development of optic fibers, electromagnetic waves, and geo stationary communication satellites that enabled the transmission of complete and uninterrupted messages and signals. These developments account for the modern era whereas back in the 18th and 19th century, globalization relied on the postal services, telegrams and later, amateur versions of phones and faxes. These were the mechanical advancements and then came the idea and implementation of the global codification that has turned the world into a global village where everything is just a click away. Where all the information is available on fingertips and anything, anywhere can be easily accessed anytime which is bliss, yet a concern for the privacy of the masses (Potter, 2012). The ideology of the possibility of a global village was predicted and put forward by a Canadian theorist, Marshall Mcluham in 1960. Though it seemed almost impossible back then, globalization has propagated and spread its roots so deep that the world has indeed shrunk to a global village in the presence of technology. Technological advancements have not only crossed the social and territorial boundaries of the world but have also brought about huge changes in all the aspects of people’s day to day lives (Peter, 2008). All the People of the world now live together, huddled up in what seems like technological dens where they share their happiness and sorrows with one another and be there 24/7 not hindered by the weather conditions or any other issues as came across in the past. They learn from each other’s inventions, researches and discoveries and keep themselves updated regarding the happenings of the world each second. It has become possible because of the media that enables the people to have the experience of the globally shared moments by informing people about the events they can remotely be a part of and can take part in each other’s joys. Advancements in communications make it possible for the people to talk to their beloved ones at any time of the day without facing issues as distorted static voices or broken networks that were a common occurrence back in past. A close look at the world and its happenings unveil that people are competing everywhere, regardless of the competition being healthy or unhealthy, beneficial or detrimental. People are winning and people are losing, images are being built, images are being destroyed, everyone is busy in the race, busy in the struggle to be the best and to possess everything. This rush is responsible for the demarcation between winners and losers, princes and paupers, educated people and illiterate people, the rich and the poor (Sparks, 2007). Media is the only way by which people can be a part of this global race, whether it is newspapers, television, radios, letters or any other form of media. Globalization of the TV shows, films, literature, drama and music has led to the understanding of social identities and issues, cultural commitments and hardships and has influenced people to know each other better, to respect each other more and above all, has united the world in one single unit where everything is shared, discussed, analyzed and judged. Decisions are taken, lives are saved, commitments are made, responsibilities are shared and a wider and a clearer picture of the world is presented to its inhabitants (Sparks, 2007). The revolution in media has successfully changed the world into a global village and the people, avid for entertainment and gossip are its subjects and their weapons have been all the shows being broadcasted. Pakistan cable TV is now gaining popularity with each passing day and has surfaced from its decline and has successfully encompassed all other forms of entertainment. Many channels are broadcasting scientific information and researches free of cost that is beneficial for all the third world and developing countries who cannot afford to conduct them on their own by only using one finger to turn on TV the set, we can become well informed of the developments taking place around the globe. It is because of the media that we are able to watch men walking on the moon, robots operating at Mars, new creatures being made out of genetic engineering in the field of medicine and the 3D printers doing wonders and things made by them. Humans are living in rapidly and constantly changing times, the change is taking place in us and around us. This modern technology has provided us with the opportunity to move from a sedentary phase to the modern times technological bliss and much needed revolution to combat our ignorance. The world has shrunk to almost zero a size due to globalization. It has proved to be really advantageous for the students who want to pursue their careers abroad and this has also facilitated them by the introduction of virtual classrooms so they can study whatever interests them. In third world countries, universities offer major and conduct only the major courses, therefore, students who want to study subjects like astrology and astronomy can easily surf the internet and find universities that offer such courses and with the help of global scholarship programs, financing the courses isn’t that great an issue either. We can now benefit from the availability of the newspapers and get to know about the happenings of the world. Newspapers are also an effective means of advertising and good promotion and salesmanship play vital roles in the the proliferation of business. The press also functions as a watchdog. We can easily learn about sales, rent, earthquake, floods, famine and other natural disasters in different parts of the world. We learn about the efforts the UN is making in order to maintain the integrity of the world by keeping an eye on the political, social and health conditions of the countries around the globe. The international newspapers tell us about the current affairs and social matters as problems of the masses, news from the assemblies, national and international affairs and they also cover the entertainment aspect by keeping us updated about the festivities as the celebrations in Rio De Janeiro and India, these two being highly rich in culture. They also keep us updated regarding issues like price levels, current debates and they also encompass the entertainment sector by publishing news about drama, theatre, music, literature, and books. I would have never known about Spanish cultures and celebrations, Religious duties and festivities of the Hindus and the annual ‘Mela’ of Dubai, just to name a few, if it was not the print media and the electronic media. Health conditions like endemics of TB, hepatitis, bird flu, swine flu, plague, cholera are well documented so people can take measures and not fall prey to these conditions. Also, health problems like AIDs and cancer are well discussed so people know the threats they are exposed to. Plus, back in time, discussing sexually transmitted diseases and birth control was a stigma, now due to the developments in these fields, advertisements for condoms, birth control pill and injections have led to the masses becoming aware of these issues and people also pay heed to them thus a better quality of life for everyone is ensured. Poliomyelitis, whooping cough and tuberculosis have been successfully eliminated from the developed countries and efforts are being made to eradicate them from the under developed or developing countries, as well (Tomlinson, 2012). Television is a very good medium to educate the masses about the diseases prevalent and the issues faced. Airing advertisements about things considered as the stigma by people in the past has actually enabled the people to embrace the fact that these issues are very natural and there is nothing to be ashamed about them and that everything is curable if diagnosed and treated at an early stage. These advertisements also tell us that precaution is better than cure without any stigma attached to anything as opposed to how things were in the past. Media has also started airing advertisements about the sanitary napkins, which though awkward is very beneficial as well. It has helped ladies become aware of it and use it so infections, allergies and diseases such as cervical or uterine cancers have been successfully reduced and would be completely eliminated someday. Because of the privatization of the channels, independent and uncensored press and unwatched Internet access to the general public, the media has proliferated like never before and has become really diverse and vibrant. The globalization has given companies such as Coca Cola, Subway, KFC, Mcdonald’s, Nestle and Burger King a lot of international opportunities to establish their business and to spread it worldwide. Such chains are advertised on the media so people crave for them and when they start operating in other countries, people’s taste buds are satiated and their business proliferates and revenue is generated. It has helped the global economy and has taken the world towards betterment. The purpose of media is to create awareness among the masses regarding the current and new affairs. The gossip travels in a similar manner and spreads like jungle fire. It keeps the geographically divided people tightly knit together and holds them as one single unit. The mass media channels the plights of the miserable people so the concerned authorities like WHO, UN, the World Bank and IMF can take the necessary steps and help those people in all the ways. Due to the advancements in the fields of science and technology, people have become interconnected and can communicate with other countries, no matter how geographically far apart, at any time of the day. The powerful effects of media have brought the people closer in ways that were unimaginable. The World Wide Web has ensured that the information from all over the world is efficiently exchanged and all the people are equally updated about the advancements and discoveries. The media has enabled people to read online, reducing the need to buy books and stock them. The libraries have also become digital libraries and information regarding science and technology, religion, agriculture, law, architecture all the other subjects is easily accessible and the media has definitely shaped up the world into something much smaller and has brought people very close. People in the third world countries are majorly benefitted from the advancements in the mass media as they get to read scientific and scholarly journals and researches and have access to books that are not available in their countries. Online shopping has also become very popular among the masses lately. Though it leads to the drain of revenue from one country, it has amazingly opened up a new world for brand conscious people. We are now able to shop online for shoes, bags, makeup, accessories and other things. By the help of technological advancements, journals written in foreign languages can be easily translated and made use of by the people, enabling them to get more information and ideas. It is due to this interconnectivity that we see and hear about all the scenes of mass destruction, whether it be due to the natural causes or the result of terrorism as drone attacks, bomb blasts and civil wars. This brings people close together (Potter, 2012). Though the media seems to be very beneficial and inviting it has many setbacks, too. The media has been responsible for many rifts among the masses as it has been sharing political and religious views that might not be appreciated by some people. The speeches and views of some political leaders have led to riots and rifts in other places. For instance, the issues in Libya shook up the whole Muslim population and the death sentence of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto led to a rift among the people of Pakistan and his die hard supporters reverted to a mutiny against the government and the conditions of the country went well out of hand and martial law had to be imposed. The whole death proceeding was aired and it caused great unrest. Therefore, the media has both advantages and disadvantages, it is on us that how we react in situations. References Peter, J. (2008). The media of mass communication. Canada: Pearson Education. Potter, J, S. (2012). Webs, networks, and systems: Globalization and the mass media in the nineteenth and twentieth-Century British Empire. North America: Conference of British Studies. Sparks, C. (2007). Globalization, development and the mass media. London: SAGE Publications Limited. Tomlinson, J. (2012). Cultural imperialism. Published Online. Read More