Impact of Technology on Global Communication

Technology Advances

• Technological advancements, particularly in transportation, have made travel cheaper and increased the possibility of movement between countries.
• Communication technologies, such as the telephone, fax machine, cellular telephone, and cable television, have dramatically transformed global communication.
• The telephone reduced international distance between countries and people, with 33 billion minutes of international calls made in 1990 and 70 billion in 1996.
• The average number of international calls per person was 11 minutes globally, with 41 minutes per person in industrial countries and 3 minutes per person in developing countries.

Negative Impacts of Technology

• The transmission of materialist consumer values from late-20th-century American society has been facilitated, leading to increased materialism and consumerism.
• The proximity of Jamaica to the US market, communication, and media has contributed to higher levels of materialism and consumerism compared to Trinidad, for example.

Political Influences

• The state is no longer the main player in global politics, facing competition from new institutional actors at the local, national, and global levels.
• International governmental organizations (IGOs), such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization, have increased in number, with 30 IGOs in 1909 and 300 in 2000.
• International non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as the World Council of Churches, International Confederation Free Trade Unions, and Amnesty International, have also grown in power and influence.
• Transnational corporations, numbering around 53,000 with 700,000 branches or affiliates globally, have become significant economic powers, often controlling more capital than states or combinations of states.

New Policies

• The current phase of globalization is characterized by new policies summed up by the words "liberalization" or "neo-liberalism," which became dominant globally after the 1980s.
• The primary motive of foreign direct investment is profit-maximization, leading to a focus on minimizing costs, seeking legal guarantees, and operating in a zone of physical security and stability.

Critics of Foreign Direct Investment

• Some analysts argue that relying on foreign direct investment can make Jamaica vulnerable to the risks of depending on capital movement across borders.
• Critics suggest that foreign capital can exert inordinate influence in Jamaican political, economic, and social life, potentially placing sovereignty at risk.
• Foreign capital can be fickle, seeking incentives and potentially pulling out when they expire, leaving the country exploited and bewildered.

Explore how technological advancements have transformed global communication and travel, making it easier and more accessible. This quiz delves into the significant effects of technology on international relationships and connections.