Advances in Globalization: Prospects and Dilemmas of the Internet and New Media

Abstract

The world is quickly transforming into a global village that transcends all physical barriers. By virtue of globalization, we are all increasingly living in one world, where individuals, groups and nations have become interdependent. While social, economic and political factors have played a role in this transformation, technology has been the main driving force. Globalization has been driven forward by the development of information and communication technologies that have intensified the speed and scope of interaction between people all over the world For many years, traditional media’s such as newspapers, radio and television have fulfilled the information needs of society. Whereas the traditional media’s met the communication needs of the time, they did not fully overcome challenges of timeliness, interaction and reach. Advances in globalization have nonetheless overcome these challenges through the emergence of new media’s. The technological revolution that has driven globalization is largely engineered by communication which has spurred global growth in many sectors. As a result, the world has witnessed the unprecedented growth of the internet and the emergence of new media’s. It is with this in mind that this paper interrogates how the internet as a form of new media has affected society. This paper sought to review literature on the challenges of new media and the use of new media guided by the uses and gratification theory.