Introduction
Globalization is the metamorphosis of the world from a vast unexplored space to a fairly big village where everyone seems to be connected. It refers to the integration and connection of the world in many areas, including technology, information, culture, business (Jan 2009, p. 66; Stevenson 1999, p. 40).
It is the delocalization of space and time, enabling real-time communication between persons who are thousands of miles apart from one another (Chan 1994, p. 76). It connects and unites the world (Robertson 1992, p.112). Advances in communication and transportation have facilitated globalization.
Economies and culture across the world are now collectively linked by new trends in communication (Robertson 1992, p. 112). But, globalization can be like a double-edged sword; with certain populous cultures exerting strong influences on the global community and vice versa (Flew 2007, p.86).
Globalization of media facilitates the sharing of home grown content with a worldwide audience via various media organizations (Liebes &Katz 1990, p. 106). Media globalization influences different cultures through propagation of information. This is because many media organizations control economic and social resources giving them considerable influence over global culture (Curran 2002, p. 218).
This paper will analyse and discuss the issues relating to globalization and its impact on social media. It will look at the advantages and disadvantages of globalization and the response of social media to the global phenomena.
Social media are sites on the internet that are used to share multimedia information, data, discussions and personal interactions (Traber, 1986, p. 84).
Individuals and groups create and share content on these sites where they can also have personal conversations. Social media takes many forms, including blogs, forums, message boards, social networks, virtual worlds, digital storyboards, social bookmarks, video, data and content-sharing sites, to name a few (Kim et al 2011, p. 368). There are many social networking sites, the most popular among which are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Wetpaint (Kim et al 2011, p. 370).
Social Media: A Brief History
Social media can be loosely defined as a platform bringing together people from different backgrounds who share a common interest for the purpose of discussing issues of interest. It is where technology meets the social needs of people, since human beings are social beings.
Social media can be traced back to the late 1960s. CompuServe was all the rage then; it used dial-up technology to establish connections to a network (Boyd 2007, p. 226). After delivery of the first email in 1971, two computer enthusiasts invented the first platform for a virtual community.
It was known as the bulletin board system (BBS) (Traber 1986, p. 84). The purpose of BBS was to alert friends about meetings, make announcements and post information (Boyd 2007, p. 218). In 1993, CERN, a nuclear research organization in Switzerland, donated the World Wide Web technology to the world and in the same year, Mosaic, the first graphical server, was launched. Mosaic’s launch gave rise to web pages and changed the internet scene (Curtis 2011, p. 62).
Geocities was launched in 1994 and it enabled users to create their own websites modelled after urban areas. The web hit the millionth-site mark in 1997 and in the same year, blogging and online chatting began (Curtis 2011, p. 62). Google opened shop in 1998 as an internet search engine and index. Wikipedia, the world’s largest wiki was started in 2001 as an online encyclopaedia (Kim et al 2011, p. 368).
Social networking websites have mushroomed in recent years, with the emergence of MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, digg and YouTube, among others. By 2011, social media was accessible from almost everywhere and social media business was increasing. The development of multimedia-capable mobile devices enabled more people from around the world to access social media from anywhere at any time (Curtis 2011, p. 62).
Advances in social media have brought about massive changes in business, education, politics, entertainment, employment and human interaction (Giddens 1990, p.174). It is now possible to study, work, watch programs, listen to music, vote and follow the latest news without having to leave one’s home.
Actually, one does not need to be tied down to a home in the traditional sense since technology has occasioned virtual homes. With the advent of social media, the world has been transformed into a huge village where news items from a seemingly insignificant corner of the globe can be spread across the planet in just a few clicks and seconds.
This paper sets out to expound on the many positive and negative impacts of the globalization of social media.
Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media in Globalization
The massive number of ideas that people share through such platforms as Twitter and Facebook has noticeably influenced a change in lifestyles, preferences, political ideologies and academic achievements, both for the positive and negative.
Product sales
Social media is now an instrumental tool in the success of a business today. Social media inventions have increased business sales due to their far reaching effects on the global market. According to different surveys, social media is responsible for attracting customers on a global scale and increasing business worth, among other positive factors (Bellamkonda 2012, par. 2).
Social media as a business
A recent trend of note is the formation of companies that are run using the internet. As an illustration, the social media phenomenon, Facebook, has transformed from a social network to a public corporation, with its Initial Public Offering doing very well in the first few days of trading.
Marketing methods
Social media as a marketing tool is almost unrivalled because of its ability to reach a universal audience at a click of a button. Users share information about a product with friends. It is an ideal tool in this regard, since it is not only effective, but cheap and easy to use. On the flip side, this also means that negative information about a product or company will spread with the same speed and efficacy reducing sales.
Non-adoption
Those businesses that are keen about the use of social media to augment their business operations have been successful. However, those that do not adopt such tools or cannot successfully use them have not been as successful. This is especially true for small businesses where those organizations that cannot afford to advertise on social media platforms become less competitive and lose potential customers to those effectively using social media.
Foreign investment
The connectivity that globalization of social media has accomplished has become a conduit for the dissemination of information. Such sharing has presented opportunities that have hitherto been unavailable to individuals (Curran 2002, p. 218).
These opportunities have empowered many communities through the availability of employment opportunities and the improved infrastructure, especially in developing countries where multinational corporations have relocated their operations in a bid to maximize their profits by taking advantage of the cheap available labour and the low costs of doing business.
With the main base of operations still situated in the mother country, communication with the operations in foreign lands is maintained using many forms of media, including social media.
Job seekers
Globalization of social media has become a significant factor in networking for those seeking jobs and has opened opportunities for employers to outsource their work, providing employment opportunities to those who may be disadvantaged geographically.
As well, search for work using traditional means in today’s market is an elusive venture, as most firms, realizing the advantages of social media, now recruit employees online. And, while social networking provides a great way to network, make friends and share information, some information that people reveal about themselves on social networking sites is very personal.
The privacy terms provided by use licences may dispel their fears, but care should be taken when posting information that may not be welcome by all since some practices by employers have raised ethical concerns about job recruitment through social media sites.
These concerns include racism, gender discrimination, sexual discrimination and religious intolerance based on information found during or after the hiring process. What employers forget is that employment laws still apply in the context of social media just as they apply to any other method used for recruitment (Jan 2009, p. 67).
Literacy and artistic talent
Social media can be used to improve literacy and fine-tune artistic talents through the features available on social networking sites that enable quick and easy upload of self-made multimedia productions and materials.
Skill building
Social media sites are filled with new advancements that are user friendly. When students spend a lot of time on social networking sites, they become tech savvy and the skills they learn from these sites will benefit them in their future endeavours.
Study methods. The rate at which students gather and share information on social sites improves their productivity and instils team-building spirit within them. However, too much time spent on social networking sites can result in the development of poor face-to-face interpersonal skills and low self-esteem (Kim et al 2011, p. 370). Face-to-face communication assists a student to develop the use of body language and other non-verbal cues to communicate effectively. Students who lack these skills will have less confidence in themselves.
In addition, student study time is consumed by browsing social sites to chat with friends and update their pages due to the ease with which these sites are accessed and the availability of technology. Social media has also been accused of encouraging moral decadence because children can easily access pornographic sites and other uncensored materials and may try to ape what they see.
Student research
One major area in which social media has made a negative impact is academia. Students resort to regurgitation of information that is easily accessed through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other forums without taking time to establish the veracity and authenticity of their sources (Jones 1995, p. 66).
The ability to research and retain information is compromised as students come to rely on copying and pasting information. This also encourages plagiarism, a form of academic cheating (Jones 1995, p. 66).
Politics
Social media has been used for political gossip, conversations, debates and analyses, especially during election periods. Political activists and analysts have paid keen attention to these hotspots of political innuendo, especially during crises. In effort to make the incumbent look bad the analysts have tended to exaggerate situations for political expediency.
On a positive note, social media has been used by some politicians as platforms for launching their campaigns and as tools for wooing voters as well as instruments for gauging political strength. For instance, in 2008, Barrack Obama embraced social media as a tool to source funds and as a strategic instrument for wooing young American voters (Curtis 2011, p. 64).
Social media have been used by politicians to strengthen and reinforce the political beliefs of their fans and supporters. This make their campaigns very effective compared to mass media. This is because it is easy to narrow down to the targeted audience for maximum impact. A case that clearly demonstrates the impact of globalization of social media is the Arab spring revolutions that erupted across the Middle East and North Africa (Bellamkonda 2012, par 2).
During the Egyptian revolution, after the government shut down all non-government broadcasting stations, communication was facilitated by social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, among others. Social media provided a means by which aggrieved Egyptians could voice their disappointment and to show the world the atrocities committed against them by the Mubarak regime.
Despite the positive impact that social media has had in the area of politics to keep the populace informed, it has also been an effective tool used to end dictatorial regimes.
Mass media
One of biggest impacts that the globalization of social media has had is in connection with mass media. In the past, the collection and distribution of information was solely in the hands of mainstream media. With the rise of social media, this domination of information by mass media has been on the decline (Curran 2002, p. 218).
Domination of information is the propagation of ideology through media. The domination of information by mass media can be likened to the domination of knowledge in the dark ages, when the ruling elite controlled all access to books and education at the expense of masses of illiterate peasants (Curran 2002, p. 222).
From a philosophical perspective, mass media ensured that theirs’ was the dominant ideology. Ideology lasts as long as the interests of the dominant are satisfied. It is the ideas of the prevailing class that are entrenched into the social order (Curran 2002, p. 218).
Mass media has had a cunning way of presenting relevant information so that it is generally accepted by the public. In addition, the information distributed by mass media is intended to suit the vested interests of the elite few. Since the emergence of social media, the marginalized populace has managed to liberate itself from the onslaught of misinformation propagated by mass media (Boyd 2007, p. 218).
In fact, globalization of social media has given the masses a medium for voicing their protests against the domination of the ruling class. At the same time, social media has provided a common, unrestricted platform where both the elite and the subordinate class can freely interact, thus removing the barriers of class and status (Ellison 2007, p.1150).
Humanitarian crises
Social media is an essential tool for observers of humanitarian crises as it provides an unedited view of the situation. Although the benefits of social media cannot be definitively measured, its contributions cannot go unnoticed (Boyd 2007, p. 214). Globalization of social media has brought positive changes in the response to humanitarian crises worldwide. It is now possible to receive first hand communication from afflicted regions.
Social media also provides raw unadulterated footage of the situation on the ground (Ellison, 2007, p.1144). It provides a constructive platform for volunteers to contribute to rescue efforts. Social media can also provide nominal advantages to citizens in times of war by facilitating communication when communication lines have been damaged (Chen 2011, p. 5). Social media has proved to be an effective medium for getting assistance to those facing humanitarian crises.
Cultural influence
Just as globalization facilitates social media, social media facilitates cross-cultural interaction. Culture is influenced through contact with other cultures (Allwood 2000, p. 9). In this regard, social media cannot be discussed independently of other forms of media like mass media. In the same way that mass media has a strong influence on global culture, social media also does, and it may be more effective since information transferred by social media is transmitted practically in real time and is first hand.
Until now, people have been forced to operate on two planes: the local and the global. There is a need to encourage healthy cross-cultural interactions through social media without compromising self-identity that can only be established through one’s local culture (Croucher 2011, p. 259).
The interaction platform offered by social media is a breeding ground for cross-fertilization of cultures. Each culture picks what it considers good from other cultures. This has had positive effects on democracy and human rights, where the international community has advocated for universalism.
However, there have been some negative effects in countries like China, which struggles to protect its national culture from what it considers to be the bad influence of the global community (Zhang 2006, p. 113).
When the negative effects of interacting at the global level through social media are felt at the municipal, familial and individual level, the effect has always been that global culture has eroded the culture of the person involved (Kim et al 2011, p. 364). However, influence works both ways and other cultures can influence the global culture (Hall 1976, p. 14).
Personal dialogue
Globalization and technology have met in social media to render time and space irrelevant and ensure that people of different parts of the world can meet and discuss the most intimate issues (Morris 2002, p. 283). Consequently, the security of the individual has been compromised when personal information is given to a total stranger; an action that may have disastrous results, as has been illustrated above.
Social connection
While social media provides many ways to virtually connect with the world, it ironically has the effect of eroding the social skills of an individual who begins to rely on it exclusively. When one spends the majority of time with virtual friends, there is the risk of losing the skills to interact with friends and family in the community (Englehardt 2001, p. 205).
Terrorism and crime
Social media has been used to advance the activity of international crimes and global terrorism. Through these sites, the masterminds of terrorist attacks have been able to easily influence individuals of impressionable minds to join their groups and do their bidding. This has affected the security of individuals, forcing governments back to the drawing board to strategize how to provide security in the modern world (Ellison 2007, p. 1149).
Legal issues
Legal challenges also arise from the use of materials that are shared online through the social sites. Data protection, intellectual property infringement and defamation are legal issues that challenge social media platform owners. Due to its virtual nature, it is easy for users to ignore relevant laws, assuming they do not.
The virtual nature of social media gives a false sense of security, which is not the reality (Jones 1995, p. 68). This trend is encouraged since laws relating to social media are developing slowly compared with the pace of technological development and growth of social media.
Propriety
Another challenge is controlling the content of social media. What one culture considers offensive and inappropriate could be acceptable to another; or what the global culture finds very interesting might make an individual uncomfortable (White 1980, p. 3). The advent of mobile phones makes the situation more challenging, because while it is possible to control computer networks, it is virtually impossible to control transmission by mobile phones.
Computer and data security
Finally, threats of malware, worms and phishing are real and cannot be under-rated. Social media users need to appreciate the dangers involved with sharing personal information in these platforms. They must first address privacy and security concerns before opening up to their virtual friends.
Recommendations
As has been demonstrated, social media has permeated many aspects of life. For one to maximize the benefits of social media on the global plane, participation in social media workshops is critical, as is attending seminars that offer training on security, networking strategies and how to increase visibility globally.
Conclusion
This paper has reviewed the effects of globalization on social media. It has also highlighted the impact that social media has on different aspects of daily life, including politics, economics, culture, moral values, lifestyle, employment and communication.
The paper has established that there are both positive and negative effects of globalization on social media, presenting a variety of challenges for us all.
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