QUEZON CITY UNIVERSITY

College of Education
General Education
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PHILOSOPHY

THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

First Semester, 2022-2023

LEOPOLDO CINCO CATCHUELA

Professorial Lecturer
Doctor in Public Administration (c ), EARIST, Manila
Master in Public Administration, EARIST, Manila
Bachelor of Laws (Juris Doctor), University of the East, Manila
A.B. Political Science, San Sebastian College - Recoletos, Manila

It is my strong belief that our ultimate aim in life is not to be

wealthy, prosperous, or problem free. Our ultimate aim in life is to bring
GLORY TO GOD! In view of this, and for our FAITH JOURNEY, may I
cordially invite you to watch, subscribe, like, comment, and share my
YOUTUBE Channel, SIGE KUYA POL. When we live to the GLORY
OF GOD, we show HIS goodness living through us instead of just
ourselves. GOD BLESS YOU!

MODUE 6: WORLD OF IDEAS

Media Platforms and Globalization

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learners are expected to:

1. Analyze how various media platforms drive globalization;

2. Identify the biggest media conglomerates that capture global audience;
3. Understand the new communication order in the new world order;
4. Explain the major barriers in accessing internet connectivity.

LEARNING CONTENT:

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 Mass media platforms significantly contribute in the enhancement of
globalization as it facilitate flow of information and cultural exchanges through
broadcasting, television programming, film, music, and new mobile technologies.
Today, media entities have been increasingly global extending their reach beyond
their respective borders to win over global audience.

True enough, the media as a social institution has profound effects on the global
stage with particular repercussion in the socio-economic and cultural aspects.
Innovative technologies that gave birth to new media platforms ensure the uncensored
and uninterrupted flow of information and collaborative and cooperative dialogue.
The new media technologies cover the internet, mobile phones, gaming, animation,
and many others. The internet itself connects millions of people across the globe and
create a very democratic atmosphere in the information superhighways. Meanwhile,
mobile telephony has substantially altered human communication and interaction. It
has occupy an indispensable place in hearts and minds of today’s younger generation.
Creativity and cognitive capacity have been enriched due to digital cultural
communication as shown in the gaming and animated industries.

Some of the biggest media entities in the world are engaged in multi-media
platforms and are capitalizing on the role of innovative technologies in conquering the
global market. Based on capital assets, the biggest transnational media entities are as
follows:

1. Alphabet - the company that owns Google of which its main revenues come from
search advertising. Youtube, a subsidiary of Google, is widely considered as one the
most popular online platforms in the world as its global subscribers typically watch
more than 1 billion hours of videos every day. Based on its 2016 net earnings, Google
was pocketing a revenue of $36,100 per minute.

2. The Walt Disney Company- The company is accustomed to bringing entertainment,

information, and inspiration to people across the world. Its storytelling medium draws
millions of children with its iconic brands. Though its theme park business has been
severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney Plus, an online streaming
service created by Walt Disney Company, is now creating wave as it managed to
allure more than 100 million subscribers over the world in a short span of time.

3. Time Warner Corporation- the company that brings HBO and Warner Brothers
Entertainment, Warner media has film, television and cable operations. CNN, a unit
of the company, which airs 24 hours covering global news has been ranked in the
third place with the most number of viewership among cable news network.

4. Facebook- When everyone gets mobile, Facebook became the main beneficiary. By
leaps and bound, the company’s revenue grew into 63% over the past years.

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5. Netflix- Established in 1997, Netflix exploded as as giant entity in the online
streaming services to which huge portion of its revenues come from membership fees
of its global customers. The company at the moment has 200 million subscribers.

6. Sony - A Japanese based firm, Sony made a big name in the electronic and music
industries but it has also gaming, network and picture services. The picture division of
the company includes motion pictures, television production, and media network.

No doubt that new media platforms are increasingly shrinking the world as borders
and walls bound to collapse leading to a much closer connectivity. Tools like 5G,
video conferencing, sms, emails, blogging and social networking have evidently
recorded to be the fastest and powerful platforms for convergence to generate new
ideas and collaborate in crafting feasible solutions over multiple problems and
challenges plaguing global society.

The New Global Communication Order in the New World Order

A. The Digital Divide- Six years ago, the United Nations declared internet access as a
basic human rights. Unfortunately, around 2 billion people remain disconnected to
internet access. The Digital Divide illustrates the gap between those who have access
to internet and those who do not have. The roles of internet and web on people’s lives
are encompassing which permit instantaneous communication, transfer of money and
documents, and activate the interconnected world reducing the size of the world in
terms of information sharing and knowledge transfer. The market of smart phones
which are compatible to internet connectivity are expected to grow further in the
coming years. Today, there are three billion smart phone users largely concentrated in
China, India, and United States of America. The latest data also reveals that there are
4.72 billion people around the world are using internet as of April 2021 and most of
these subscribers are using mobile devices to go online.

There are two types of barrier to internet connectivity

1. Political- There are states especially under authoritarian set-up which totally
prohibit their people to go online as allowing their people to get connected to the
world may bring political instability and more or likely cause people to demand for
regime change. Internet are prohibited or subject intense government regulation such
as in North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Tunisia.

2. Physical-refers to the lacking of infrastructure and devices that facilitates internet

connectivity. Countries that do have poor infrastructure somehow affect the quality of
internet accessibility.

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B. Socialnomics

A lot of things have happened since the birth of Internet which significantly altered
every facet of the world’s economy and our personal lives. Another revolution is on
the horizon which is impacted by Social Media to which its repercussion is indeed far
reaching. In terms of its economic impact, Social Media generated unparalleled
wealth and values and its effects managed to spill over the sphere of politics,
economics, and human relations. Today, buyers/consumers are no longer searching
for products they want to purchase via conventional way rather goods and services are
constantly on the hunt for potential buyers over social media. Paid advertisements
over television are no longer the top factor for purchase intent since people nowadays
are being influenced by products and services referred by other people over social
media. Through crowd sourcing, one can obtain hard to find information from other
individuals over social media. Zero cost informative content are bombarding our news
feed prompting us to unsubscribe to costly newspapers or magazines. More
importantly, all of the above can be done within your comfort zone along mobile
devices on your side. This is a clear sign that a massive socio-economic shift is
taking place.

Certainly, there are obvious means to which Social Media influences the global
political economy.

1. Democratic Engine - Obtaining communication with someone on the other side of

the globe and gather vital information can cost huge penny prior to the inception of
Internet. Unlike today, communication and information can be accessed with
minimum or no barrier at all through social media. Some experts describe social
media as digital steroids when its platforms are being used by small brands to make a
dent in the markets; and individuals who can showcase their dazzling talents and
eventually capture global audience making making them instant celebrity overnight.
Ordinary citizens are also empowered by Social Media as they can unmask anomalous
transactions in public office and conduct vigilant reporting of wrongdoings and
abuses perpetrated by person of interest. In the recent people’s revolution in Egypt
against Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country with an Iron Fist for more than two
decades, Twitter was said to have performed a critical role by facilitating the
mobilization of mass gathering of people clamoring for Mubarak’s ousting. Few days
after the persistent series of mass protest, Mubarak offered his resignation.

2. Establishment of Platform Economy- Social Media is closely linked to as series

of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn. Social Media
companies are contributing huge to the global GDP and continue to redefine the
global economic landscape. Four Social Media platforms have already reached more
than a billion subscribers and all of them have been around for ten or more years.
Tiktok only launched in 2016 and by mid-2018 it had already reached half a billion
users.

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3. New Ecosystems for Entrepreneurship- Based on the latest survey, a consumer
usually spends up nine hours per day online and social media has proven to be the
most effective way for businesses in reaching out global customers.It is safe to say
that more than 50% of the global population is active on social media. With such
penetration, it is impossibe to ignore its influence and presence in the marketing
domain. With the gradual waning of print and broadcasting media, social media is
now being catapulted as one of the leading channels for marketing and advertisement.

C. Technological Authoritarianism- Recently, social media has been criticized as

purveyor of fake news and disruptive propaganda empowering demagogues and
populist leaders who have advocated for ill guided policies and ideologies that put
incalculable harm to global democracy. Former US President Donald Trump used the
Twitter platform to consolidate his massive support from American conservatives. His
daily dose of tweets immersed in lies have been followed, liked and shared by
millions of his loyal supporters. Thousand of Facebook Political Pages were usually
manned by trolls who are fond of making hate comments, bigotries and distorted
arguments against the opposite side whom they considered the country’s prime
enemies.

Enjoy Reading!
Good Luck and Congratulations!
GOD LOVES YOU!

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