Introduction
Although there have been many technological innovations in the twentieth century, two of them, viz. Multilanguage media and worldwide shipping technology stand out from the rest with regard to their impact on the lives of individual users, society in general, and in international relations. Multilanguage media allows people to interact and access information that would otherwise be inaccessible, while worldwide shipping technology has the same effect as people can order materials from online stores regardless of one’s location. This paper analyzes some of the ways in which these two innovations have changed societal dynamics.
Impact of Multilanguage media and international shipping technology on society and international relations
Technological innovations evolve as time passes and mostly the advancements have a gradual impact on individuals and society as a whole. However, the evolution of Multilanguage media tools such as newspapers and cable television and worldwide shipping has occurred at a faster pace than most other innovations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The pace at which the advancements have occurred has had various effects on society and trade.
Social interaction is one of the main aspects that multi language media has revolutionized. In the nineteenth century, most people were mainly concerned about learning their own indigenous language with only a few countries teaching foreign languages. This move was mainly due to the lack of necessity for other languages considering the fact that most people operated their affairs within a specific locality.
The development of Multilanguage media technology has however enhanced the need for people to interact with others in different geographical regions for various reasons. For instance, the occurrence of events in one country that leads to subsequent events in other countries necessitates the need for people in those countries to interact and generate solutions. A good example of such a scenario would be the occurrence of the global financial crisis in 2007. Although the event originated in the United States, its effects had a worldwide scale. Broadcasting the news in English, as is the national language in the US, would have denied people in other countries the chance to understand the occurrence of the event and its effects on other economies.
However, courtesy of Multilanguage broadcasting of the event, most people were in a position to comprehend the magnitude of the crisis. As one of the resultant effects of such broadcasting, people develop an interest to learn other languages to aid them in conducting personal interactions with others in other regions and obtain first hand information on world events. The integration of Multilanguage media on communication devices such as mobile phones and computers has eased multilingual interactions further, thus leading to the development of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter (Kelsen 89).
The application of the Internet in interpreting other languages has enabled social media users to interpret different languages without necessarily having to undergo special training. Multilanguage media is part of the reason the current pace at which globalization occurs is fast.
Another aspect that has changed primarily due to the invention of the two options is the relationship between individuals in different geographical locations. Nowadays, people talk about “virtual relationships”, which is a derivative term that describes the nature of relationship where people mostly interact through devices as opposed to personal one-on-one relationships (Saylor 34). It is now possible, and to some extent normal, for people to conduct relationships entirely through social media applications.
Thanks to the need to learn different languages and interact with people from all over the world, enhanced by Multilanguage media, people are now capable of developing relationships regardless of their geographical distance. For instance, online dating is now a normal form of courtship thus replacing the initial form where people would need to meet in order to get to know personal details about each other.
Through tools such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Skype, people are in a position to share personal information about themselves with others, regardless of their location. The integration of the Internet into mobile phone devices has made it possible for people from different continents to talk and share experiences with one another thus enabling the creation of a relationship amongst people who have never met physically. This aspect has also increased the number of interracial and intercultural relationships worldwide, thus enhancing globalization.
The third important aspect that has experienced the effect of the two devices is ease of access to information and increase in international trade. Given that Multilanguage media provides access to information on events in various regions, it is now easy for individuals to conduct objective analysis with regard to favorable trade regions. Multilanguage media enables individuals to understand aspects that influence international trade in other regions including culture, politics, and the economy (Cohen and Schmidt 213).
For instance, an American citizen seeking to set up a business in Saudi Arabia does not need to learn Arabic to gain access to relevant information. Interpretation of business news from the region through Multilanguage media enables the individual to access relevant information and make objective decisions on the viability of setting up a business in a region with a different cultural, political, and economic background from what he or she is accustomed to in life.
Another element of international trade that has benefited from Multilanguage media is the enhancement of diplomatic relations between countries. Multilanguage media has enabled people to understand various cultures and subsequent national policies with international impact, thus enabling leaders from different nations to compromise on issues they do not necessarily agree.
However, Multilanguage media bears certain disadvantages, with the main one being the fact that access to information about other regions may have negative impacts on such nations, as is the case during political turmoil. In such a scenario, access to information on the events of a country undergoing political turmoil reduces its trade opportunities and puts the government’s private issues on the international spotlight. Such effects are part of the reason why most governments prefer to limit the accessibility of local media to the international community.
One of the main aspects that worldwide shipping technology has affected with regard to international relations is the speed at which transportation of goods occurs by enhancing efficiency in international trade dynamics. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, shipping of goods was a preserve of seaway application leading to unnecessary delays and complications in transporting perishable goods. However, with the integration of airways into shipping and the use of advanced storage facilities in ships using seaways, shipping is now easier, faster, and more efficient as is the case with companies such as DHL Express (Hill 72).
The use of computerized data storage facilities also ensures that there are fewer mishaps in relation to recording information concerning goods. Importers and exporters now find it easier to keep track of their goods regardless of their geographical location. Given the efficiency that worldwide shipping technology has created, there has been a rise in international trade with traders from all over the world gaining access to goods for sale in their geographical location, without having to oversee the transfer of the goods personally from one region to another. This aspect provides stark contrast to procedural measures for reduction of risk undertaken in nineteenth century shipping business.
Secondly, the changes in shipping procedure and technology has resulted in the requirement for most countries to establish advanced security procedures at entry points, mostly in airports and shipping docks. This situation is resultant of the fact that as shipping methods advance, so do methods to fraudulently smuggle goods into other countries including narcotics and firearms. Most governments have had to enact stringent security measures to ensure the maintenance of security within their borders without necessarily limiting the trading activities that occur throughout the year (Hill 112).
Lastly, as advanced shipping technology has increased the number of goods shipped in countries all over the world, countries have deemed it necessary to construct appropriate amenities such as storage and transport facilities. Benefits of such infrastructural improvements are applicable to other fields of trade such as the transport industry. In conclusion, integration of Multilanguage media and worldwide shipping technology has the overall effect of improving international trade, both in amount and efficiency. Governments have to make necessary policy changes including changes in taxation and security policies to ensure the smooth running of trade without compromising on national security and diplomatic relations.
Works Cited
Cohen, Jared, and Eric Schmidt. The New Digital Age: Reshaping the future of people, nations and business, New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2013. Print.
Hill, Charles. International Business, New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print.
Saylor, Michael. The mobile wave: how mobile intelligence will change everything, Boston, Da Capo: Press, 2010. Print.