The World is Flat!?!

When I stop to consider the idea of the global village, it makes me consider a book I read this past spring called The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.  In this book, Friedman spends hundreds of pages trying to convince the reader that due to globalization what used to be halfway around the world is now right outside our back door.  He explains that due to technology and the ever decreasing digital divide the world is now more interconnected than ever before and that we as a global community will be better for it.  Friedman at the same time offers a warning to the United States about being left behind as the rest of the world races to be the leader in digital technologies.

The global village also makes me think of Hillary Clinton's famous comment about the idea that it takes a village to raise a child.  This concept of community and everyone having a hand or taking part in the raising of a child sounds encouraging, but at the same time it is concerning.  I believe Clinton was trying to comment on the fact that with the changing world we need each other more than ever to prepare our youth with all the experiences and expertise available, but at the same time conflict can arise.

To have a global village we must all play active roles and feel the connection, but what happens when we can't ALL feel the connection in a positive way?  Technology is out there and while most of the world is feeling the effects, they are not all involved and some of those that are may be experiencing some of the unintended consequences that come with technology.  What makes a community is the expertise of everyone and the sense of feeling close, but not all of those members can be recreated through technology.  A community comes with a sense of tradition and culture, two things that are missing from the digital age.  Many cultures around the world are resistant to the incorporation of technology into their communities for this very reason.  Technology may bring in new business and financial opportunities, but are they welcome or even positive changes?  In his article "Do We Really Want a Global Village?", Stephen Talbott states that "Our quest for a global village begins with the implementation of physical networks and accompanying technology" (p. 5).  Companies see the world as their market place and venture throughout it trying to find the best way to maximize and make a buck.  The unfortunate side-effect is the true sense of community missing from a global village.   Talbott continues by saying "If we really wanted a global village, we would start with the local culture, learn to live in it, share in it, appreciate it, begin to recognize what is highest in it..." (p. 5).  Digital technology has changed the lives of business in the global village, but the change in the culture of the villagers can be an unintended consequence of that very same technology.