In a time not so long forgotten, the possibility of regular correspondence with other human beings was far more limited than it is today. In the past, the only option was the telephone and, before that, the written letter. Today, one is free to communicate with anyone, so long as both individuals have access to the requisite technology. This goes beyond the boundaries of geographic location, language and even culture. Since the advent of the digital age, developed countries have seen a rapid burst in the homogenization of their many ideas and values.
Whereas, previously, one could only be bothered to expend the energy to maintain regular
correspondence with other individuals of their choosing, the vast majority of
whom belonged to the same culture and subculture, today, most of any developed
society is regularly exposed to the thoughts, ideals and traditions of people
with whom they would have had no involvement a mere 25 years ago.
Older
generations never experienced things such as Gmail, Google, Reddit, or even the Internet, until the advent of the digital age. Before then, human
thoughts were quite isolated. Now, the landscape of shared human ideas is
constantly changing, experienced by members of other cultures who, in turn, share their words, opinions and actions. Where there
was once silence, there is now the constant and rapid exchange of ideas and
beliefs across what used to be boundaries.
This is creating a world in which the blending of the human experience is constant
and unstoppable. As long as we live in a world in which constant communication
with anyone else on earth is possible, human
culture rapidly becomes homogenized. Is this to be desired, and even
strived for, or resisted? Is our own cultural identity worth more
than the possibility of a global forum in which every idea can be
shared, but at the cost of a loss of individuality?
It is
the opinion of this writer that such a cultural confluence is to be strived
for. Where some may see a loss of culture, others will see
something quite different – a global gain in culture and the
values, ideals, and thoughts that it consists of. Rather than losing our own culture,
we are keeping ours, but adding the cultures of innumerable others to it.
What
can this lead to? It can lead to a planet where the understanding of the
struggles and pains of every other nation is prevalent.
Understanding is the most important aspect of the digital transformation of
culture. A world in which every human, every people, understands the lives of
others is a world in which wars become the least desirable alternative to peaceful solutions in any conflict. If every people fully understood the
conflicts of another, would they want to fight them? Simply put, no.
Understanding leads to sympathy, and those who are sympathetic to others would least want to fight them. While the digital age has lead to a homogenization of culture, this sharing
of culture only offers benefits to reap.
