One
World
By
Derek Plott P.5
Culture: the arts and
other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
The dictionary definition of the word culture is vague, and doesn’t really
define what it is in the modern day. Education, media, food, art, beliefs, politics,
religion, and even basic human to human interaction make up culture as a whole.
Sure there are certain sub-sects such as from Goth to nerd, Mexican to Chinese,
Mormon to Islam, rich to poor. There are many different sub cultures which
humans identify with, but now with globalization, and modern technology there
is, for the first time in history, a global culture. Ideas, opinions, and
creativity can be shared with everyone in the world in an instant. Products,
natural resources, ideas, races, and religions are no longer exclusively in one
part of the world, they are everywhere. Press
Pause Play, Culture and Communication Parts I & II, The Empathic
Civilization, The Power of Outrospection, Changing Paradigms, First as Tragedy,
Then as Farce, and Craigslist Joe
are all examples of how the world is becoming a more tight knit global
community. Media and advances in technology have made this global culture
possible. Many argue that globalization is a bad thing, but like it or not,
it’s happening. Due to advances in technology every bit of information humanity
has gathered is now out there for everyone to see and ideas can be shared
across the world as they are formed - creating a global culture and community
which allows all human beings to connect, and express their creativity in an
unprecedented way bettering the world by the second.
Humans have been using technology to make our lives
easier since we discovered the use of a rock as a tool. The rate at which
technology has advanced has increased exponentially as time has gone on. Since
humans invented written language technological advances have become more and
more frequent. Communication is key to this. As Isaac Newton said when talking
about the advances he made “If I have seen further it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants.” (Newton). If Isaac Newton had not read the writings of
his predecessors he never would have made the remarkable discoveries he did.
With the internet, and social media we no longer need to stumble across a book
to gain new insight, and inspiration. Just get on a computer or cell phone, and
everything humanity has ever discovered or created is there for the taking. This
increase in communication has changed the world, and given it new hope. As Time Magazine said “This is an
opportunity to build a new kind of international understanding, not politician
to politician, great man to great man, but citizen to citizen, person to
person.” (Vie 3). With the coming of
social media communication has escalated to a whole new level. Anyone in the
world can communicate to someone across the globe just as easily as with their
neighbor. Just get on Facebook, Skype, a blog, or a forum and communicate with
anyone in the world. Mass media is a huge part of the world today. People are
constantly interacting with mass media, and it shapes our culture every second
of every day. “The mass media developed as an integral part of this new mass
society and became the disseminators and creators of the new mass culture.”(Vie
40). Humans learn almost everything they
know about what’s going on in the world through mass media be it TV,
newspapers, social media, or radio. The generation living in today’s world is
more educated, and has more access to information than any before it. Though
communication, technology, and access to information have become better,
society as a whole still has to catch up.
Many individuals are embracing the new world and entering
the global community, but society as a whole has a ways to go. There are still too many people clinging to
the old way of life to move forward, and many of those people have significant
power in the world. The top 1% wealthiest people in America control 43% of
America’s wealth. 90% of media is owned by 6 conglomerates. On April 2nd
2014 the Supreme Court ruled that there will be no caps on political donations
in the case McCutcheon vs. Federal
Election Commission. This means that the rich can buy politicians, and
their decisions at an even greater extent than before. This will surely slow
down change as these rich people do not want social change because they made
their fortune off exploiting natural resources, and American citizens. Luckily
change is on the way as human empathy is spread throughout the world via technology
such as social media and education. “Empathy is also about social change,
radical social change… empathy can create a revolution, not one of those old
fashion revolutions of new states, governments, policies, laws, but something
much more fiery and dangerous; which is a revolution of human relationships.”
(Kryznaric). This expansion of empathy comes from of interaction with other
people around the world. With greater understanding of each other plights we
can come together to overcome them. Are capacity for empathy is already growing
quickly. “Charity is no longer an idiosyncrasy of some good guys, here and
there, but the basic constituent of our economy.” (Zizek). Almost every product
on the marketplace is not only a product but a cause. Every store you go into
has a jar for donations to something. Someone buys a coffee cup, not only
because they need a cup, but because it goes towards protecting the
environment, or finding a cure for a disease or to helping impoverished
children. Though few people show the commitment to go build a well in Africa, many
people give money to help the world as a whole. This is a promising sign for
our future, and shows society is becoming better, but there are still many
things the world needs to work on. Education is chief among them. “The problem
is they are trying to meet the future by doing what they did in the past, and
on the way they’re alienating millions of kids who don’t see the purpose in
going to school… the problem is that the current system of education was designed,
and conceived, and structured for a different age. It was conceived in the
intellectual culture of the enlightenment, and in the economic circumstances of
the industrial revolution.” (Robinson). The world is well beyond those times,
yet we still use that education system. The current education system was made
to produce a good factory worker that will do as his superiors tell him.
Schools are still on a factory schedule, with bells, and set times. Schools in
America today are mass producing a good employee that will sit at their desk,
and do mind numbing tasks for hours on end. Anyone who doesn’t fit that mold is
tossed on the streets and forced to work at an unlivable minimum wage.
Creativity and individuality are being crushed. Look at Monarch High School; according
to counselors there are 15 pages worth of seniors with D’s and F’s because they
don’t find the material interesting, and would rather ditch class to have fun,
express themselves, and learn about topics they’re interested in than listen to
boring lectures for an hour. Change will
come with the maturation of these misbehaved kids that grew up in a global
community with all of the world’s knowledge at their fingertips.
As the global community forms the world changes. People
are fighting for social change, and using technology to do it. Ever since the
Vietnam War a counter culture of individuals who care about not only their
personal freedom, but the freedom of their fellow humans has taken hold.
Right’s for women, LBGT’s, minorities, and every other oppressed group that have
come to the forefront of society are gaining attention. As humans learn of each other’s plights their
empathy grows. “Empathy isn’t just something that expands your moral universe,
empathy is something that can make you a more creative thinker, improve your
relationships, can create the human bonds that make life worth living.”
(Krznaric). The generations that grew up in the global community realize this,
and take it to heart. Though many generations have been exposed to this fact
through books, plays, and paintings the evolution of technology to the digital
interface that younger generations use every day has driven it home. The
creativity of the world is growing with the community. “50 years ago, people
didn’t make things. People would go to photography exhibitions. They would go
to record fairs. They would watch movies. Now everyone is a photographer.
Everyone is a musician. Anyone can make a film.” (Moby). Because of technology
everyone in the world can express their creativity in any way they please, and
see how others express theirs. This new
age of sharing has brought humanity tighter together as a community, and more
empathetic towards one and other. Joe Garner proved this in Craigslist Joe. When he set out he said
this “Some say we have lost the sense of community that used to carry us
through tough times.” (Gardner). He proved those skeptics wrong by living for a
month off the goodness of other people. Traveling coast to coast, meeting
people from all walks of life, Joe found that empathy is still alive and
strong. Though the world is coming together and blending into one global
culture every part of it is at a different point. Many people don’t have access
to technology, and many that do have access to only highly censored
information. It is an unfortunate truth, but it will change with time.
The world is closer than it’s ever been, and humans have
access to more information and creative expression than ever before. Though
there still are many problems and conflicts, they are becoming more understood,
easily resolved, and less frightening. The old ways are still here in many
senses, but as the generations that grew up with the global culture surrounding
them take over things will get better. The rich and powerful are old, and their
ways will fade slowly with their lives and an unprecedented era of peace and
prosperity will dawn on man as everyone’s empathy extends from their families
to every other human, to the world as a whole. It’s undeniable that the average
human is more connected than ever before, and worldwide empathy is coming about
with globalization, and technological advances. Creative expression,
individuality, and acceptance are taking hold on the minds of humans. Press Pause Play, Culture and Communication
Parts I & II, The Empathic Civilization, The Power of Outrospection,
Changing Paradigms, First as Tragedy, Then as Farce, and Craigslist Joe all show this process
taking place. There are two ways the world can go: 1) to its doom continuing to
be blind, ignorant, and greedy, or 2) becoming a peaceful planet were everyone
can live out their dreams, and helps others do the same. The second path seems
more likely given the growing trends of media, and global culture. Hopefully
the change doesn’t come too late.
