Cultural Consequences of Media Technologies, Essay Example

The media has become the ultimate source of information for the modern-day human being. As economies strive to realize their position in the digital frontier, they become dependent on information. This is owing to the fact that business has become information-driven. An individual’s perceptions, beliefs and values are greatly influenced by the information they expose themselves to. Media has rapidly shaped and influenced people’s perceptions and attitudes towards certain subjects by influencing their thought process. By merely invoking the thought process, mass media has become a powerful tool for globalization.

Mass media is largely perceived as an important tool of entertainment. Through music and movies, individuals tend to influence fashions and trends. This is because most people look up to rich and popular individuals as complex and “cool” individuals. In this way, media influences fashions and trends. Globalization is a recent phenomenon that has changed and influenced all facets of life, from trade and finance to governance and social welfare. It is entrenched in the social and administrative structure of developed and developing nations (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010). As economies strive to fit into a globalized world, they evolve in terms of their core values entrenched in their constitution.

These modernist concepts are now being abandoned for a post-modern outlook to life. The post-modern world critiques the foundational and grand narratives that have been used to shape our society. A new society emerges at the post-modern stage. At this stage a transformation is realized by how society critically evaluates the foundational ideologies that have been used to create it. The evaluation is founded on factual evidence and reason in relation to the post-modern conditions and factors (Bennett, Mercer, & Woollacott, Popular Culture and Social Relations, 1986). Social and cultural values are redefined they are queried and tested. Values that are found to be irrelevant are either abandoned or altered so as to suit the post-modern conditions.

Media and Communication

Glory Hill is one of Hong Kong’s most revered rock bands, made up of four members. Their music mostly resonates with the younger demographic in Hong Kong, as well as Japan. While Glory Hill undoubtedly produces some of the best music in it genre within Hong Kong and China, their music and music videos depict numerous aspects of a global culture, an intermarriage of Chinese culture with the culture of the modern world.

This is depicted in the style of music, a pop/rock fusion in their music video Lost. Their style of attire highlights the influence that western fashion has had in Hong Kong. The music video depicts life in a desolate Hong Kong. The city of Hong Kong has been prone to city-wide protests that have left the city streets desolate for a number of days at a time. The band prefers to have their songs in their native Mandarin. This aspect of their music preserves their culture.

Fat Prop is also a fairly popular pop/rock band based in Hong Kong. The band’s music of style is quite similar to Glory Hill’s music style. However, they prefer to have their songs in English. Their style of music as well as the use the English language highlights the globalized culture in Hong Kong, adopting an international (global) language.

Technology Determinism

Technological determinism is a theory that is founded on the notion that technology plays the most important role in the development of social and cultural change. Communication is the foundation of technological determinism. Culture rapidly evolves and changes with the development of communication technology (Hodkinson, 2011). Technology is in essence an extension of the human ideas and concepts. This is how technology influences, transforms and alters culture.

The United States is renowned as one of the largest hubs for technological development. It has been known to have enhanced and developed technologies that have considerably influenced the world. One of the most important technologies invented by the superpower is the Internet. Through the internet, they have been able to transform cultures through intercultural communication.

The internet is currently the most effective tool for intercultural communication. Despite the fact that the internet largely originates from the United States, it facilitates intercultural communication in areas with connectivity (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2010). These cultures that experience connectivity with the world through the internet become part of the global culture and pass on their cultures and tradition and adopt new ones. The map below depicts the global internet connectivity. This paints a picture of the most influential cultures within the global culture.

Cultural Imperialism

The 21^st century media can be largely perceived as an essentialist tool. It facilitates and embodies cultural imperialism in every sense. One of the most developed countries in terms of media, the United States, is the best example for a culturally imperialist and essentialist tool (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2010). As an essentialist tool, the media is employed in projecting cultural values, norms and beliefs. Cultural imperialism can be depicted by either attempting to propose one’s ideas as better, or stereotype other cultures based on traits.

The media has longed depicted women from Asian origin as Asian women as computer ‘geeks’ and the Latina women as the casual laborers and mail-order brides. This is evident in many advertisements where the cleaning lady is of Filipina origin while the computer whiz at the IT department is the geeky Asian lady wearing the huge glasses. This is considered an essentialist representation of inter-cultural gender (Eide, 2010). This perception of female Asian and Latina women proves the essentialist nature of the media that shapes opinions in society.

Psychology and Essentialism

Feminist psychology and theory have molded psychological study on gender at numerous productive moments (Eide, 2010). Essentialist representation of gender has been criticized to women’s bodies and sexuality (Mahalingam & Leu, 2005)This kind of essentialist approach to feminism can be seen as an ideological device that validates power relations, social essentialism In this argument, women that fit the given racial profile tend to be subject to ridicule and even social segregation, or they are naturally assumed to be perfect for a given kind of job, limiting their opportunities to a progressive career path. The manner in which psychological studies are conducted, prove the essentialist perception is entrenched in society, even in academia.

Saturated Self

As individuals gain access to modern technology, communication becomes easier, more efficient and extensive. As mentioned earlier, technology is a means of communicating certain ideas embedded in culture. Technology enables individuals to replicate the number of relationships they have without necessarily requiring physical contact (Gergen, 2010). Technology has developed connectivity regardless of geographic location, only limited by the level of technological advancements.

Social media has revolutionized communication. Facebook has made it possible to communicate with friends and family all over the world, and even meet and make new friends while Skype has made live video communication possible. Mobile phones nowadays are evolving into devices that are a must-have. These gadgets can store every aspect of our daily lives, from schedules, appointments, reminders, e-mails, contacts and even sensitive personal documents. One can even browse the internet, listen to music, play video games or even watch TV on a cellphone.

In conclusion, the media has considerable implications on culture and society. The media promoted concepts of cultural imperialism, where dominant cultures either promote aspects of their culture as superiors, or stereotype other cultures. As individuals gain access to technology, they are able to start, develop and maintain relations exponentially.

References