as mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are becoming more and more alike, leading to a phenomenon known as globalization. some people fear that globalization will inevitably lead to the total loss of cultural identity. to what exte

The world has become a global village. Due to recent advancements in telecommunication and means of travelling, no one and nowhere is out of reach. Everyone and everyplace is just one click and a few hours away, respectively. Some individuals think that this ease of connectivity will ultimately lead to masking of local cultures.

On one hand, this globalization has caused immense exchanges of different cultures. News and trends spread all over the world in a matter of seconds. People, anywhere, can go on the internet and see what is happening thousands of miles away. One can board an airplane and be at the other corner of the world in a few hours. All this ease of communication and transport, has caused people to come closer to each other’s societies and exchange their norms. For example, a teenage boy can go surfing the world wide web and see what’s trending in England in the fashion industry, while sitting in Islamabad, and order whatever clothes or shoes that he might fancy and wear them in his own locality, all within a few days. Other people will see him and follow him, causing instant exchange of apparel between Pakistan and England.

On the other hand, there are people that like to stick to their culture and what it contains. They don’t care about what’s going on in another country or continent. They feel more comfortable with their own cultural trends. For example, there are people from Africa that live in the United States, but wear their own region specific capes.

All in all, it eventually comes down to how loyal a people are to their own society and its history. I personally believe that communication advancements and ease of access do not threaten the local virtues and cultural heritage of any part of the world.