THE TWIN FORCES OF GLOBALIZATION AND INFORMATIZATION

“Information technologies, such as the world-wide web and other communication technologies, have transformed economic and social relations to such an extent that cultural and economic barriers are minimized” (Kluver, par. 8). Reading this quote on how technologies that aid the spread of information have emerged during this era of globalization made me wonder which came first.
Technologies that enhance communication promote globalization in that they cause increased interactivity and interconnectivity worldwide. “Previously, ideas and technologies took centuries to diffuse across the globe, not seconds” (Sprague, 2000). On the other hand, the strengthening force of globalization demands faster methods of communication to survive. As people become increasingly interconnected with others located far away, they need technologies that allow them to quickly communicate over further distances. As a result, the use of Internet, e-mail, instant messenger, cell phones, and text messaging has increased.
Whether improvements in technology led to globalization or globalization led to improvements in technology, it is clear that globalization and technologies that quickly and efficiently spread information worldwide are coexisting forces that support each other to grow stronger.