Increasing technology and media has always been driven the main source of globalization. In the book of Thomas Friedman, (2005), it has been identified that there are multiple ways, through which the technology has been flattened, the world and also contribute in the global economy. This posits about the core concept of economics, which changed the high speed of internet and personal computing. The access of these technological shifts allowed the corporations of core-nation for recruiting workers in Indian or Chinese call centers. By using such examples, such as Midwestern United State lady, who operates the home based business through Bangalore’s Call centers, for this Friedman had warned about the order of the new world, and the existence of technology, whether the core-nation businesses or companies are ready, or still exploring. It is also more like to keep the order of the economic key-roles across the globe, the countries does not pay attention towards preparing themselves and employees in this modern and dynamic competitive world (Friedman, 2005).
However, it is worth observing that the Friedman was an economist, rather than a sociologist. His all work greatly focused on the risks and economic gains in this new and orderly entailing world. This article is going to discuss the technological globalization and media globalization more closely, to pay more attention to the sociological perspectives. Media globalization is all about integrating the world with different media with the help of cross cultural ideas and exchange of perceptions, whereas the technological globalization deals with the development of the cross cultures and technological exchange (Bagdikian, 2004).
Media Globalization
It has been suggested by the Lyons, (2005), that the multinational corporations and organizations are major and primary vehicles of the media globalization. Moreover, these corporations and firms also control the global content of mass-media and its distributions. It has been a fact, that when looking and taking care of who is controlling the media outlets, which are some of the independent source or new source, or the conglomerated ones, which are newly developed. Around 1500 newspapers, 6000 magazines, 2600 publishers and equal value of the television stations along with 10,000 radio-outlets are offered by United States (Bagdikian, 2004).
On its surface, there is still the endless opportunity of finding the diverse and different media outlets. Still the numbers are quite misleading. The media consolidation considered to be in process, where the fewer owners only control the major number of media outlets. The ideological and cultural bias are not only about media globalization risks. Furthermore, the cultural imperialism and its associated risks along with some loss of the local culture, and other issues come with some advantages of more integrated world. There is a risk which is potential for the censoring by the national governments, which let-in only information, data and media which they feel, must be served their messages as the occurring of China. In addition to this, the core nations like United States, and United Kingdom risks the consumption of the international media through the criminals for circumvent the local laws and rules against the socially dangerous and deviant behaviors, like gambling, sex trade and child pornography. International or offshore websites, assist the countries and their citizens to seek the illicit and illegal information, they required from the 24 hours online sites, which do not need any age proof. Such examples clearly illustrate the risks of the society of unfettered flow of information (McLuhan and Marshall, 1964).
Technological Globalization
The technological globalization has been speeded up in the greater part of the world with the help of technological diffusion. The technological spread has been observed across the borders. In previous two decades, rapid development and improvement has been seen in the spread of the technology for semi-peripheral and peripheral nations, and both such benefits are considered as ongoing challenges and issues of such diffusion. Generally, there has been reports found, which discuss the economic growths and technological advancement or progress rates which were linked, and thus, the rise in the technological progress improves the conditions of several people lives who were living in the poverty. It has been recognized that the low-tech and rural products like corns could gain benefits from the new technological innovation and conversely, that technologies such as mobile banking could aid the rural existence which consist of the low-tech vending in market. Furthermore, the technological advancement in the areas like the mobile phones could lead the competition, concurrent improvements and lowered prices in related fields like information sharing and mobile banking (Bagdikian, 2004).
However, there are same patterns in the social inequality, which create the digital divide within the semi-peripheral and peripheral nations. While the technological growth and its usage among different countries has been risen dramatically over several decades. The technological spread and advancement in less-developed countries and developing countries are relatively slower, because far fewer individuals have skills and training for taking the advantages and benefits of the new technologies and access it alone. The technological access are tends to be more clustered around the urban areas, and also leaves the vast swaths. Whereas the information technology diffusion has much potential in resolving various social problems across the globe, it is more like the population in the affected areas through the digital divide. For instance, the technology used for purifying the water can save several lives, but still the villager do not have access of purifying the water or need for doing so, because of technological access and development, as they lack in funds for purchasing it, and the comfort level of technological for introducing it as the solution (McLuhan and Marshall, 1964).
It has been concluded that technological helps in driving the globalization, but still what it means is that it could hard for the decipher. Whereas, there are some economists, who see the technological advancement and improvements, which helps in leading towards more playing field and areas, where anywhere and anyone could be the global contender, and the reality is considered as the opportunity, which still clusters in the geographically the advantaged areas. Hence, the technological diffusion which has led the spread more technology across the borders in the semi-peripheral and peripheral nations. However, the true technological implication global equality is very long way-off.
References
Bagdikian, B., 2004. The new media monopoly (Rev. ed.). Boston, MA: Beacon.
Friedman, T.L., 2005. The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. Macmillan.
McLuhan, Marshall. 1964. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill.
