The Future of the Global Communications Revolution

While there are many obvious advantages of the global communications revolution, such as enabling human development and productivity through shared information, the future of the internet and electronic writing may contain a number of drawbacks. In the future, the internet will be more ubiquitous as web-applications seep deeper into our human environment, posing the problem of technological dependence on a large and global scale. The internet’s component of virtual reality allows people to conceal their identities, which threaten to make organized crime and terrorist groups easier to develop. As internet and commerce grow, the communications revolution is widening the gap between the rich and the poor. Many fear the internet is the primary source in the globalization that is erasing national identities and making for a common world culture, while other critics suggest the internet is actually creating a larger rift in cultures. Despite these views, the global information age will likely cause the world to become an integrated and interdependent whole, while allowing cultures to maintain their national identity. Still, as information moves around faster, farther, and cheaper, it is shrinking and flattening our world.

Internet-only communications and other technologies have been accepted and relied on, as seen in the outrage over Skype’s two-day outage. The popular online phone service is depended on by millions of people around the world; the 48-hour outage that occurred “was intolerable” (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/22/business/EU-TEC-Germany-Keeping-Connected.php?page=1). Dependence on the internet will increase as it is able to access it through a variety of devices, “Increasingly, people will use non-PC devices that have either much smaller or much larger displays, and will reach the Internet through a growing diversity of networks” (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PJR/is_5_5/ai_n27164845). Relying on the internet and electronic communications in excess is risky because these systems have the potential to fail, as seen in Skype’s two-day outage. The non-availability of internet, e-mail, or web server could cause major inconveniences and losses for people and businesses alike.

Rhodri Marsden asserts “computers will undoubtedly form the hub of our living rooms”, allowing us to receive all our visual and audio entertainment. The demise of television, “both in terms of traditional TV network schedules, and the prominence of the TV set in the home” will occur as the role of the internet expands (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20061111/ai_n16843874). Everyday items such as cars, refrigerators, and heat and lighting systems will be someday connected to the internet. The line between our daily life and the internet will be increasingly blurred, emphasizing our dependence on it. Many have doubted its ability to cope with expansion, says Marsden, as seen with the ease spammers and hackers employ on the internet. Users must be aware of the cyber-criminals of the future and should take necessary security measures to prevent destruction of a thoroughly-wired household. By educating ourselves on what to do and what not to do online, we can maintain our internet security and privacy.

The global communications revolution is leading to the creation of a world without boundaries, where everyone will know everything about anybody’s activities. This is not necessarily a better world, however. In New York Times news article titled “Cyberspace Gives Al Qaeda Refuge”, the exploitation of the internet is highlighted by the Al Qaeda terrorist network which uses computers to coordinate attacks. Al Qaeda websites have become “virtual classrooms” for terrorists, offering specific instructions for terrorist acts such as kidnapping and bombing. The anonymity and lack of restrictions the internet permits is ideal for Al Qaeda’s and other terrorist groups’ success, “Independent Al Qaeda cells and the network’s loose hierarchy use easily available encoding programs and simple techniques to exchange virtually undetectable messages between Internet cafes in Karachi and libraries in London” (http://articles.latimes.com/2004/aug/15/world/fg-cyberterror15). The terrorist networks’ strong reliance on the internet is hazardous; the stealth the internet offers its users makes it difficult for U.S. and foreign investigators to gather valuable information. Fortunately, authorities are able to obtain valuable information if they can get their hands on data stored in computers or on disks.

The global terrorist network’s use of computers was also a key aspect of the destruction of the World Trade Center; “After Sept. 11, the biggest fear of terrorists using the Internet was their potential to disable air traffic control systems or disrupt the electric power grid of the United States. Billions were spent shoring up infrastructure defense”( http://articles.latimes.com/2004/aug/15/world/fg-cyberterror15). U.S. and foreign authorities agree that the internet poses the greatest challenges because it is largely anonymous and unregulated. As technology improves and people become increasingly connected, the global terrorist networks will adapt and find new ways communicate. It is already challenging for the government to keep up with the intercepting and deciphering of messages among terrorists. As the communications revolution progresses, it will become much more difficult to monitor the internet thoroughly for the prevention of terrorist threats.

While immediate access to the internet has done wonders for modernization and knowledge, it is concentrated in the Global North. Other areas such as Africa and South America do not have such access and are falling further behind technology-rich countries: “…we are in the midst of a technology revolution that seems less likely to close the gap between rich and poor countries than to widen the gap even further” (http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_02/uk/edito/txt1.htm). The digital divide between rich and poor countries will be felt in every aspect of life, whether it is in opportunities, potential, education, or job-hunting. In the Pew Global Attitudes Project, majorities in 34 of 44 countries surveyed stated that “the availability of good-paying jobs has gotten worse compared with five years ago. […] the gap between rich and poor, the affordability of health care and the ability to save for one's old age [is] getting worse” (http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=185). The ratio of Global North to Global South Internet users is about five to one; those who are left out cannot afford computers or the expensive software they require. It is essential for poorer societies to be brought into the system of electronic communications if we want to work toward a knowledge-based society and avoid a clash of civilizations during the globalization process.

If the gap between rich and poor countries expands as the communications revolution wages on, it will lead to discontentment and threaten the prospect of global harmony. “Unless basic ideological needs of human beings are reassessed, it is doubtful that economic aid and technical expertise alone can bridge the increasing rift between cultures”, states Joseph Salim of the UN Chronicle (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_1_41/ai_n6145245). Even if the internet has created the worldwide high-speed distribution of information, there is concentration and control of “intellectual property” in the Global North. This is especially evident in the area of e-commerce, “three quarters of all e-commerce takes place in the United States”, making it difficult for less developed countries to be liberated from their technological dependence on the Global North (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_1_41/ai_n6145245). In today’s interconnected global village, there needs to be a collective development of universal standards and ethics. Blending electronic communications and technology into universal standards and ethics is necessary in today’s changing world.

In the future, the Global South and other less developed countries will be further integrated into the globalization process, sealing the digital rift that currently exists. The growing capacity of many U.S. rivals to compete in the areas of information technology is closing the gap. Rapid and unconstrained communication portrays a future in which all borders will vanish, connecting people around the world into a unified whole. The increasing number of internet users, “about a million weekly”, promotes cultural revolution by giving most of the world access to information for the first time (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/friedman.html). The shared information is creating a flatter world by breaking the barriers and borders between cultures. The growth of internet blogs allows culturally diverse people to share their opinions with a global audience, which influences areas such as politics and the media; “Many predict the death of the traditional newspaper format, as stories are broken exclusively on blogs, and demand for instant analysis rises” (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20061111/ai_n16843874). This trend is continuing into the enormous popularity of podcasting, which was spawned from the diffusion of iPods. Podcasting allows people to create their own website channels and share audio and visual opinions with anyone who signs on. The network that bloggers and podcasters create has power to influence politics, economics, society, and culture globally.

Thomas Friedman, an international journalist, states “Globalization is not a choice. Basically, 80% of it is driven by technology” (http://www.bricklin.com/albums/fpawlf2000/friedman.htm). Globalization is certain to continue as revolutions in technology persist, however, its affects remain uncertain. The world has already seen the shrinking aspect of globalization, as geography becomes no obstacle in the information age. Some people fear that globalization is actually “Americanization”, the idea that American values and products are being spread predominantly across the globe. Despite America’s current hegemonic leadership, globalization allows cultures to thrive and mix together. Philippe Legrain strongly believes cultural globalization is not Americanization, “A Frenchman -- or an American, for that matter -- can take holidays in Spain or Florida, eat sushi or spaghetti for dinner, drink Coke or Chilean wine, watch a Hollywood blockbuster or an Almodóvar, listen to bhangra or rap, practice yoga or kickboxing, read Elle or The Economist, and have friends from around the world.” (http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i35/35b00701.htm). Legrain’s examples hold true; individual choice is what is eroding the uniformity of national cultures. Technology is reshaping culture in this sense by allowing individuals to communicate and share information with others all around the world, “New hybrid cultures are emerging, and regional ones re-emerging. National identity is not disappearing, but the bonds of nationality are loosening” (http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i35/35b00701.htm)”. These technological trends that propel globalization can be viewed as either desirable or despicable, but globalization is real, for better or for worse.

The global communications revolution is having a profound effect on many aspects of life. As rapid and unrestrained communication occurs, it makes us more vulnerable to technological dependence, terrorist and cyber-criminal threats, and a lack of nationalism. With the advent of the information age and influence of cyberspace on a global audience, people all over the world will draw knowledge and inspiration from the same platform. This spread of knowledge will make it possible to prepare for the future changes and obstacles the global information age will bring.