What Is Globalization?

Globalization in the most obnoxiously vague sense is the process which describes
how the world becomes "globalized". So what does a globalized world imply?

A globalized world is one of increasing instanteneity, where communication media enable people in disparate locations to experience evens simultaneously. This creates a complex range of social interconnections governed by the speed of communications, thereby creating a partial collapse of boundaries within national, cultural, and political spaces. [1]

With this definition in mind, you can make the argument that the world is undergoing globalization. The internet has enabled an average American to obtain information about foreign events in a more direct and efficient manner. For example instead of having our information relayed to us from American media we can obtain news from overseas by directly from foreign media outlets such as BBC or even through social media such as Facebook or Twitter. The instantaneous manner information can be obtained has effectively prevented media dilution of stories and made for more honest media coverage and opinions to circulate.

It is important to note, however, that we are not yet a globalized society. As mentioned by Pippa Norris in "Information Poverty and the Wired World" impoverished nations in areas like the Middle East haven't yet been able to experience the fruits of the internet [2]. There is a growing distance between "information-rich and -poor countries" [2]. Without access to such a large pool of information, ideas, and overall connectivity these nations explain how the world has yet to complete the process of globalization and embody the notion of "information poverty".

[1] Ray, Larry J.: Globalization and everyday life. New York: Routledge 2007, p. 1.

[2]Norris, Pippa: Information Poverty and the Wired World. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 5 2000, p. 1.