In the information society, communication technology has played an important role in our daily life.
In the past, no one would imagine that we can communicate or share different cultures through the internet. In this essay, first of all I will suggest that how the communication technology affects or influences culture around the world. Secondly, i will suggest that internet is not only spreading western culture to the rest of the world but also allow to be globalization. Cultures are not only dominated by western but also be more diversity.
The communication technology is changing so fast.More or less will impact the other cultures through these rapidly change, such as radio station, TV broadcast and Internet. Since when radio, TV broadcast and even now internet is developing, they are almost impacting others. In Hong Kong, the local Canton Pop is one of the examples.
Before the western music style corroded, the Canon Pop still keep with the traditional Chinese lyrics, and be more Cantonese opera( Benson and Chik). Somehow, when the radio and TV this broadcast is becoming more common, the Chinese version of America hits and North America Jazz was born.It also impact on production market through radio and movies technology in 1930s in Shanghai. Also, the radio technology is influencing the bands in Hong Kong so much in early time. Many of bands and artists are relied on UK and North America hits songs. In the early 1980s, the English--Canton Pop took over by radio stations, TV Channels and concert halls.
According to HongKong Institute of Education they said:"The influenced by this kind of communication technology was even though the Hong Kong people still listening or imported the English songs, but the local market was disappearing." Despite the impact on culture, evidences prove that internet is a process for the world become to be a global village. In fact, internet is a very useful tool to maintain the minority nations in the western countries, and allow people to share with different cultures. First of all, we gain massive benefits from it, Internet make our life easier such as work. People don't need to go abroad to work, due to the advance technology and now we can do business through e-commerce from the whole word.
Secondly, even though the English is the dominated language for around 80% of the websites, but the other non English websites are still growing. Kaplan (2009) they stated since 2005, the biggest Chinese search engine Baidu was founded. The people in China don't need to only rely on Google or Yahoo this western commercialization. It is clear that we gain benefits from this globalization process. Thomas Friedman (2007) stated that "The internet and other technologies are flattening the world without regard to geography, distance, or in the near future, even language.
" One of the example from Friedman, he stated that in the past, it is a dream for Indian to work in USA or Europe, because of the high pay of some skill works. However, in this modern society they can finish their work at home through Internet rather than stay away from their family (Kaplan 2009 P27). In conclusion, it is clear that the advance communication technologies have a massive impacted on culture. As i said before,it had a huge influence on the local culture. However, it is not all negative, in HongKong they also developed a new type of music.Moreover, internet is the best way to prove how the world to be globalization, even though internet was founded by western concepts.
Although it had impact on the local political and social, but it is also allow different people to share their cultures rather than only for westernization or within their concepts. Internet it is not only to spread the western values to the rest of the world, it allow the world to be more diversity .References:Benson. and Chilk,Alice(unknown year). HK Pop History.
Retrieved Feb 15 2010,from http://home.ied.edu.hk
