The article puts more emphasis on how the emergency of media has changed the Emirati way of life. Through advertisement, accompanied by entertainment, the authors observe that the young generation have shifted from traditional way of life and copied western culture. They explain how important modern technology is to the society and how both media and internet has led to nations having a uniform perception on economic matters.
The authors compare the Middle East ways of life in the current set up and how it has changed eventually to western way of life. They observe how the young generation gathers at entertainment joints that are American style in nature. The young gather at these areas and enjoy meals, which are commonly found in Europe and America. The change of viewing habits, purchasing patterns, and the perception toward life transforms them to a new way of life1. The authors’ argument is supported by the facts on the ground that gives circumstances clarifying their observations.
The United Arab Emirates has attracted tourists and people of diverse culture due to their wonderful tourist attraction sites; this has promoted trade consequently making the upcoming UAE young generation to start marrying people outside their country. It shows how transition from traditions to globalization has occurred in Emirates.
The authors make someone glued to the text to get to know how this change of lifestyle affects the people of Emirates. The article gives the reader an option to either change the current way of life or maintain. This is justified where we see the youth admiring western soaps while their elders are emphasizing on the need to stop airing these programs. We observe also a certain television station changing its programs channels to acquaint itself with the western soaps; all these has really transformed the youth.
Though the authors have emphasized so much on media awareness creation they further caution individuals against taking extreme measures in order to change their natural appearance or traditional way of life. The article categorically identifies that though globalization is good, it is always important to know that some measures might create a negative message to viewers regarding their self-esteem and credibility. Some programs feature people walking naked and this could impart the youth with bad morals which might make them act irresponsibly2. Media should put some restraints on matters that affects moral behaviors and emphasize much on issues that spearhead growth and development.
The authors’ argument is that media advertisement has created awareness to the people of UAE. Though media has contributed to this transformation other matters might have led to the change. First, education makes people gain knowledge and new skills. Having seen that people of Emirates pursue education to the higher level, it shows that they might have gathered some of this western culture lifestyle through books.
This is evidenced when the writers state how female student used to sneak out of college and travel to Paris to purchase some items. The knowledge of the items might have been gathered from books and triggered their desire for the same. Also at college level people from diverse culture meet and through these interactions they tend to learn new ideas; it could be another reason that made these people to change over time.
Due to emerging issues some lifestyles are eliminated by nature; for example, in the ancient time people used to travel for long distances on foot but with emergency of motor vehicles and airplanes this is no longer the case. People are forced to leave their past ways of life and practice the modern ways; this change is not necessarily made by media but change of events. We read history on how past generations used to live; there were no clothes to wear and people used to wear skins and threads. The emergency of clothes was not due to media but changes in events and nature. Though nowadays the media has been taking center stage in awareness creation, it does not mean that all changes that are occurring in the current world are resulting from this.
The authors exaggerate so much on the issues relating to globalization and its impacts to UAE generation. Trade has been there for a very long time and people used to exchange goods for goods. The argument that media advertisement has made people from UAE copy western culture does not give true evidence; this is due to reason that interaction via trade may change their lifestyle as well. People like experiencing new mode of life and trade has facilitated this including matters of diet.
I disagree with the authors’ perception towards media due to the reason that not only media could have made the people of UAE change but also other factors as earlier stated. Media could have contributed to a certain percentage say 25 per cent and the rest goes to other factors (e.g. interaction, nature, change of preference among others). The author has supported his arguments well though not much convincing.
Bibliography
Sabbab, Nada; Mutawa, Mohammed; Fox, John., & Walters, Tim. Media as Social Matrix in the United Arab Emirates. AU Sharjah, UAE: Political Science Department.
Footnotes
- Nada, Sabbab; Mohammed, Mutawa; John, Fox,. & Tim, Walters. Media as Social Matrix in the United Arab Emirates. AU Sharjah, UAE: Political Science Department.
- Nada, Sabbab; Mohammed, Mutawa; John, Fox,. & Tim, Walters. Media as Social Matrix in the United Arab Emirates. AU Sharjah, UAE: Political Science Department.