The Internet and Globalization: How They’ve Changed Our Lives

Was it ever in your mind how much the internet and globalization have changed everything? These two forces have shaped everything about our lives, work, and even think. Starting from the moment we get up to the moment we go to sleep, they affect almost every constituent of our daily routine.

The Internet: More Than Cat Videos

Honestly, none of us can barely imagine life without it. It sounds unbelievable, but a couple of decades ago, it was used mainly for research, inter-university communication, and inter-government communication. Move on to the 1990s and ta-da! The Internet Exploded into our homes, making every other person connected, sharing, and learning something.

I remember my first time online, and it’s just slow, clunky, with all the dial-up noises, but it was like coming into a whole new world. And today, quite frankly, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come. We use it for everything: to shop, to work, to stay in touch with friends and family, even to learn new skills. Nearly 5 billion people are online today, and it’s become an essential part of our lives.

Globalization: A World Without Borders

Globalisation too has played a major role in the setup of our world today. Since the beginning of the 1980s, when technology started progressing further, different countries of the world came closer to each other. It was easier to trade goods, ideas, and services across the border. It opened up opportunities for the expansion of businesses, experiencing cultures, and development of economies.

On one hand, it has opened up the avenues for international products. Think of how easily you can access items from across the globe by simply clicking a few buttons. On the other hand, in creating certain opportunities for growth, it has also created new problems such as jobs migrating to countries where the labour is less costly and often times respect for a culture is lost amidst the tide of global influence.

What Does That Mean for Us?

While the internet and globalization have given unique opportunities, they have also created new problems. The internet has revolutionized our ways of communication and doing business; at the same time, it has also raised apprehensions about privacy and security concerns. Globalization brought the people of the world closer, but with this comes inequality and competition for jobs. The local businesses find it very difficult to compete with huge international ones that can provide goods and services at cheaper rates. This can pressure the small, community-driven enterprises and make it harder for them to survive.

While facing these challenges, Charlie Chaplin once said, “When you cannot laugh at the same joke again and again, then why do you cry again and again over the same worry?” History is full of ups and downs; we should no more dwell on old worries than old jokes. Yes, we learned from them, and now we could move forward into the opportunities ahead.

Going forward, the internet and globalization are trends that would influence our lives in many other ways. It will now all be about how we make the most of the good and address the challenges so that even the smallest of local businesses can adapt to this changing world for success.

What Do You Think?

Have you come across how the internet and globalization have changed your life? How about it? Your comments are welcome!