The effects of globalisation have impacted many aspects of how society operates in the 21st century. Thomas (cited in Rantanan, 2005) refers to globalisation as 'the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency.' A growing level of global interconnectedness and interaction has had a particularly significant impact on the way we receive information, such as our daily dose of news.
The focus of this blog post revolves around the separation of globalisation into specific 'flows', such as cultural, physical, informational, media and capital flows. After discussing the concept of 'global flows' with my father, he was quick to pinpoint one which he believed had altered his everyday life: 'informational flows'.
Srivastava et al. (2013) describe 'informational flows' as global flows of information 'linked to the instantaneous and almost unlimited access to information of all kinds, from Google and Wikipedia to online library catalogues, stock markets and social media.’ Basically, the exchange of information worldwide is now possible courtesy of ‘practices and platforms that were once unimaginable’.
Copyright: Image by leftfootforward.org
When discussing the different ‘global flows’ with my father, he was of the firm opinion that ‘informational flows’ were the biggest change for his generation.
He believed greater access to information, courtesy of the internet had opened up infinite possibilities such as:
· Greater ability for people to self-educate courtesy of the internet.
· Easier accessibility and greater levels of information online, in comparison to libraries and encyclopaedia’s during his childhood.
· Greater access to global news due to the effects of globalisation, as opposed to mostly local news during his childhood.
One particular example which arose during our discussion remained in my memory. He raised the ease of planning an overseas holiday due to the vast amount of information available about each country online. He recalled how when he was growing up, if you were seeking information on an overseas destination then an encyclopaedia would remain the best option.
This example perhaps best illustrates the effect that ‘informational flows’ can have on globalisation. The ability to research any country online can encourage tourism and migration, which results in the exchange of capital worldwide and interaction between different cultures.
The vast amount of information available online ensures our world is becoming greater connected each day.
References
Rantanen, T 2005, ‘Theorizing media and globalization’, Media and globalization 2005, Sage Publications, London, p. 7
Srivastava, S, Warren, B & Moore, C, 2013 Deakin University Study Guide ‘Global flows & scapes’, retrieved 30/7/13
