Global Consciousness

I. Introduction

From the latter part of the twentieth century, the world has become increasingly interconnected by fast
modes of communication. Fast communications, the compression of time and space, is strengthened by
the rise of internet which is the central to globalization. The interconnections of nations and states with the
global flow of money, ideas, goods, people, cultural styles and others gives both negative and positive
impacts to the global society. Therefore, the global consciousness which is the ability to understand the
global, international and cross-cultural sources, interconnections, implications of system, institutions,
events, or actions need to be studied for our well-being.

II. Discussion of issues and problems

Access to technology increases rapidly throughout the world. As of July 2020, almost 4.57 billion
people were active internet users, encompassing 59% of the global population. Mobile has now become
the most important channel for internet access worldwide as mobile internet users account for 91% of total
internet users (Clement 2020). However, this does neither imply that it is distributed equally, nor that the
results of such access benefit everyone in the same way.

The world is evolving at a paradoxical speed; one part is still struggling to cope with problems that have
haunted humankind for centuries, whereas the other part seeks to cope with the impact of problems that
were supposed to be solutions. To help both parts move beyond the present conundrum, where one step
forward eventually represents one step backward, technology must be designed and used in a holistic
understanding. While millions are deprived of it, for others technology has become a source of distress.
Constant usage and with it the unescapable opportunity of ‘connection’ has turned into a curse. We have
become voluntary slaves of the tools that were created to serve us. But it isn’t to say that human being is
not getting any advantages from the rising technologies. Without new or innovation of technologies, human
society might have different shape and color.

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(B) Highlight important ideas; show data statistics from research

Globalization can be further divided into three folds dimensions; economic, political and cultural
globalization. Economic globalization focuses on the integration of international financial markets and the
coordination of financial exchange. Free trade agreements, such the North American Free Trade
Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership are examples of economic globalization. Multinational
cooperation which operates in two or more countries, play a large role in economic globalization. For
example, McDonald has 39,198 fast-food restaurants in 119 countries and territories, according to its
Securities and Exchange Commission filing at the end of 2020. It employed more than 2.2 million people at
that time.

Political globalization covers the national policies that bring countries together politically,
economically and culturally. Organizations such as NATO and the UN are part of the political globalization
effort.

Cultural globalization focuses in a large part on the technological and societal factors that are
causing cultures to converge. These include increased ease of communication, the pervasiveness of social
media and access to faster and better transportation.

These three types influence one another. For example, liberalized national trade policies drive
economic globalization. Political policies also affect cultural globalization, enabling people to communicate
and move around the globe more freely. Economic globalization also affects cultural globalization through
the import of goods and services that expose people to other cultures.

(C) How technology in the globalized world has influenced human life

The effects of globalization can be felt locally and globally, touching the lives of individuals,
communities and institutions as broader society. In the case of individual, a variety of international
influences affects ordinary people. Globalization affects their access to goods, the prices they pay and their
ability to travel to or even move to other countries.
In the case of communities, impact of globalization encompasses on local or regional organizations,
businesses and economies. It affects who lives in communities, where they work, who they work for, their
ability to move out of their community and into one in another country, among other things. Globalization
also changes the way local cultures develop within communities.

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 Finally in the case of institution, multinational corporations, national governments and other
organizations such as colleges and universities are all affected by their country's approach to and
acceptance of globalization. Globalization affects the ability of companies to grow and expand, a
university's ability to diversify and grow its student body and a government's ability to pursue specific
economic policies.
Globalization enables countries to access less expensive natural resources and lower cost labor. As a
result, they can produce lower cost goods that can be sold globally. Proponents of globalization argue that
it improves the state of the world in many ways, such as solving economic problems, promoting free trade,
spurs economic development, encourages positive trends in human rights and the environment, and
promoting shared cultural understanding.

On the other hand, critics see it as increasing global inequality. It can destabilize markets, damages the
environment, lower living standard, facilitates global recessions, damages cultural identities and increase
the likelihood of pandemics.

(D) the effects to the future of the world and humanity

Globalization is essentially about transnational flows (of people, money, cultures, goods etc.) across
borders. Globalization can be viewed as either creating new opportunities or creating threats. It can also
lead to global risks such as ecological crisis, global pandemics, fears about international crime and
trafficking in people and drugs, the growth of ethno-national conflicts and threats of terrorism. However, just
as globalization is not one thing, neither is it ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but it is open to multiple evaluations.

Contrary to claims that globalization is destructive of previously existing forms of social solidarity, some
sociologists suggested that many social bonds and relations are reaffirmed through globalized
communications and that the process is only sustainable through the knowledgeable active participation of
people in everyday life. Further, online interactions can themselves be the medium of new forms of
sociality.

III. Recommendation

Global consciousness is important for ever one because only with this consciousness we will be
able to understand, respect, and work well with people from different countries, cultures, and religions. It is

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important for the survival of our global civilization and our collective well-being. We must consider both
sides of the global effects on our society.

IV. Summary and Conclusion

Human wellbeing involves material and immaterial dimensions, which mutually influence each other.
Just as we need material dimensions like infrastructures and transportations sources, we also need global
consciousness for our wellbeing.

In short, the influence of technology evolves to be ever more subtle and intense. The
consequences and meanings of globalization are highly diverse. It has indeed become a metaphor for
many contemporary social changes. Our social life, economy, environment, culture and society as a whole
are affected regardless of our knowledge of global consciousness. Globalization is inescapable but it is a
complex multifaceted process with highly uneven effects and consequences for human welfare.

V. References
1. Globalization and Everyday Life, by Larry Ray, 2007
2. The Sociology of Globalization, by Luke Martell, 2017
3. Tech Target Network https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/globalization#:~:text=Types
%20of%20globalization%3A%20Economic%2C%20political,the%20coordination%20of
%20financial%20exchange.