It’s nine in Melbourne and seven in Hong Kong now. Yet, despite the time differences, I am chatting with my mum on Tango at the moment. Thanks to technological and media advancement, different nifty gadgets and media are available in affordable prices (for media, some are even free!) and portable sizes, and can be used to communicate at any place and any time. Such communication is mediated interaction, which "stretch[es] across space and time" (Thompson, 1995, as cited in Ranatanen, 2005, p. 9) .
When talking about Globalisation, Giddens explains that it “link[s] distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa” (Ranatanen, 2005, p. 6). Ranatanen further suggests technoscape, which is “both mechanical and informational technology that moves at high speeds across various kinds of previously impervious boundaries” (p. 12). Discussing my blog entry with mum, who is at her fifties, she particularly acknowledges its positive aspect. She now uses Samsung Galaxy S3 and Wechat to chat with relatives in Canada. She leaves voice messages and exchange photos and clips with them. She manages to keep in touch with me with Whatsapp, Wechat, and Tango . She saya these were not possible in the past. Letters, telegraphs and landlines were the only means to keep in touch then. She said she has never thought of socialising across countries would be so easy. Geographical distance is no longer a constraint.
Yet, she also points out that globalisation and technology advancement may have its downsides too. It undermines face-to-face communication. It simultaneously brings about different problems, such as privacy invasion, viruses, muscle pain and thumb pain. Furthermore, she notes that it is prone to disappoint some even older generations, as they have comparatively less knowledge about technology and may be less capable in mastering it. Our increasingly frequent communication through new media may keep them away from us. While enjoying the benefits brought by new media and globalisation, we should think of ways to remove the barriers for the older generations to enjoy the benefits with us at the same time.
To conclude, judicious use of new media is important, so that we can maximize the benefits whilst not be affected by its shortcomings.
References
Thompson, J B 1995. The media and modernity: a social theory of the media. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Rantanen, T 2005. The Media and Globalisation. Sage Publishing, London.
