Globalization has had a huge impact on our society here in America, as well as many places around the world. It can influence cultures in many ways, some good, some not so good. With so much access to other cultures and others’ knowledge, technology is growing at a very rapid pace. This can make for a much more productive society and can be vital in the growth of industries like healthcare and clean energy. However, this rapid growth of technologies has also introduced “cultural lag.” This phrase is a way to describe how technology is developing faster than society. (Excelsior College PowerPoint 2020) Society can’t keep up with how fast new technologies are being created. This can cause people to pretty much just accept these technologies without wondering why or how they have come to be. Think of the iPhone. It seems like every other week a new iPhone comes out and people will automatically go trade their 2-month-old phone in for a brand new one just because it’s called an 11S instead of an 11.

Globalization can help us stay current with other technologically advanced societies, bringing technologies from across the world right to our front door. The development of stem cells has made it possible to recreate body parts. On the other side of this, places are easily affected by what may happen across the world. (Goldin 2009) Recently the Coronavirus has spread throughout the world, starting in just a single location in China.

Cultures are also very effected by globalization. I believe that some cultures have been quite enhanced by globalization. Goods can be bought for much cheaper, Medicine has become very advanced, and computers are have become smarter than anyone 20 years ago could have ever imagined. Some cultures, on the other hand, have not made out so good. Smaller cultures can be left behind, making rich cultures richer and poor cultures poorer. Smaller cultures can also get absorbed by globalization, losing things like their arts, traditions, and religions. (Raikhana 2013)

References:

• Excelsior College. (2020). Tech 230, Module 7: The Shaping and Control of Technology [PowerPoint slides]
• Goldin, I. (2009). Navigating our global future [Video, File 7:06 Minutes]. Presentation, TED
• Raikhana, S. (2013). The Interaction of Globalization and Culture in the Modern World. Science Direct. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814013111