Global village

Life in a global village

Global village

'Global village' is a "metaphor used to show that geographical distances and time differences in the world can be overcome through modern technology.

People in a village live close to each other, know each other personally and rely on each other. Email and social networks allow us to connect virtually with people everywhere as if they were living next door. News is spread instantaneously and simultaneously. English as a world language is taught and spoken around the globe. Likewise, companies are now producing and selling their products worldwide. Thus, the world has become more interconnected and it is becoming increasingly interdependent on social, economic, cultural and political levels. Ideas from one part of the world can now spread quickly to others.

However, this does not necessarily mean that those ideas will be embraced in other parts.

Global business

Large multinational corporations have provided jobs for people all over the world. These large global players often outsource the production of goods from developed to developing countries, which producegoods cheaply, because wages are much lower there. Some people are critical of outsourcing, but most western consumers are still happy to buy these imported goods cheaply.

In recent years there has been a growing divide between the rich and the poor, as wages have been cut for workers while profits have increased for the shareholders of companies.

Environmental impact

Another aspect of the idea of the global village is that some problems concern not only individual states but the whole world. The increase in industrialization and agriculture has a deep impact on the planet. This can be seen in deforestation, water pollution, depletion of the ozone layer and, most importantly, in global warming and climate change. Environmental damage does not stop at national borders, which means that pollution and the destruction of the natural world affect us all. Pollution of an ocean by one or two large industrial countries, for example, affects all the countries around it that rely on it for fish.

Political globalization - solving problems together

When one country cannot solve environmental problems alone, global teamwork can help. New ideas are needed to help people live in more sustainable ways, but natural resources can only be protected through international cooperation, Fortunately, international organizations such as the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide a place where countries can work together to share solutions and agree on rules to deal with common problems.