With the fast growth of technology globalization has made a big impact in my life. Unlike my parents and grandparents who were raised in Dominican Republic with few, if any, technology available to them and with minimal diversity, I was raised in a diversified country were technology was constantly growing. Being exposed to different cultures meant being exposed to different beliefs and different values. Furthermore, being exposed to technology, such as the internet, meant being exposed to instant information.
My parents were raised as Christians and for the most part that was the only religion they knew. Everyone in their community was a Christian whether it was Catholic, Mormon, or the like. Although the internet was on the road to Globalization during my parents’ era, it was impossible for them to afford it in Dominican Republic, so the information they had was minimal. I, on the other hand, was raised in a community were religion was diversified. Some of my friends growing up worshiped Buddha, while others were fixed in science and believed there is no God, but in evolution. All this different religions created a form of curiosity within me, and with instant information just a click away forced me to do research and judge my own beliefs.
Globalization has also influenced the way I communicate. Growing up as a child I remember going outside to play with my friends, or inviting my friends over to play Super Nintendo, or Playstation. A few years later Xbox, and Playstation evolved to online gaming and I no longer needed to invite my friends over because we were able to play the same game in the comfort of each other’s home and communicate through headsets that includes a microphone for talking, and a speaker for listening. Not only was I able to play with my friends without having them present in my home, I was also able to make new friends from around the world. I once met a friend in New York, whom once in a while sent me invitations to join his game, and another from London, who likewise occasionally invites me to play with his “clan”.
A functionalist theorist would view this fast growing technology as an opportunity to establish online communities, and institutions. Such community may include the Education website which teachers and students can use. On the other hand, a conflict theorist would view how problematic and disturbing unsupervised internet usage can be for a child. One of these problems may include predators looking for vulnerable children surfing the web. While the integrationists view the forms of communication available in through the internet. The internet allows a person to chat with his brother across country, or find out what’s going on around the world.
In conclusion, globalization has influenced me in many ways. I will never see religion as my parents see it because of the availability of other religions around me. I no longer have to accept what a person that seems to have more knowledge than me tells me, because if I tend to disagree, I can always find the fact with a click of a button. These are just a few ways in how globalization has influenced me.
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