Online Access and Culture
Access to the Internet has been linked to a number of different influences over culture. As a new means of communication, the Internet has transformed how culture is disseminated around the world, but it has also had a significant influence on how culture is created. All told, the influence of the online access to culture is far-reaching, and there are few touchpoints of culture that have not been subject to the influence of the Internet. Yet, there is often a temptation to oversimplify the influence that the Internet has had on culture, and cultures. This paper will provide an overview of some of the most important among the complex interactions between online access and culture.
Autonomy
One of the major themes in the discussion of the influence of the Internet on culture is the outcome of greater autonomy. The Internet has become the world’s largest store of information, and the ability of many Internet users to freely access this information has had one of the greatest influences on culture in general. That said, there are billions of Internet users – such as those in the People’s Republic of China – that lack truly free access to the Internet. But beyond those, the widespread democratization of knowledge – or at least the potential thereof, has given life to old ideas, allows new ideas to flow more freely around the world, and allows people of all different backgrounds to learn about one another, and learn from one another (Castells, 2019).
Regulatory policy has influenced the degree...
In the earlier days of the Internet, hardwire access was essential, and therefore there were gaps in the pace at which Internet adoption occurred and therefore at which the Internet influenced culture. Nations with more liberal regulatory environments ended up being the ones that would have the most influence over the broader culture of the Internet, including the democratization of information and knowledge (Bauer, Berne & Maitland, 2002). Prior...…Internet has facilitated the removal of much of the barriers to marketing in general.
Conclusion
The Internet has reduced much of the friction that came with geographies and cultural boundaries. While there are still some boundaries – language, regulatory environments and in some instances access to the Internet – online access has transformed the way that cultures are developed, into a more global culture. This culture is still dominated by the influence of the early adopters of the Internet, but ultimately there is a move towards a more unified culture. That said, the Internet also provides people with the opportunity to step further outside of the cultural norms in their own area, by way of allowing them to connect with people in other geographies. How this will play out in the long run remains unknown, but online access is transforming culture, by way of replacing the more traditional geographical boundaries of cultural formation with ones rooted more in networking and free communication of information, knowledge and values.
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