‘Kiki, do you luh me?’
What globalization has done to make the world an equal place.
In the new age of liberalized and globalized economies, international trade and commerce has blossomed. The internet and computers have made communications faster and easier. The world has become ‘flat’. From countries to business, now even individuals are globalized.
A student in India can take up freelance assignments from the US. A Canadian professional can do a side business online and cater to international clients. A fast food chain from the US can draw revenues from franchise stores across geographies.
Globalization and the smartphone era have also ushered in a change in entertainment. Viral trends bring people across nations together. We laugh together, joke on the same situations and we enjoy these viral trends together. Trends like the ‘Mannequin Challenge’ of 2016, and the ‘In My Feelings’ challenge of 2018 bring for a sense of oneness among people, through humor. Because everyone is into it.
The ‘Me Too’ movement of 2017 brought for social awareness into an important issue of sexual harassment and assault. This iconic viral trend brought women from all walks of life together- against harassment from men in dominant positions. Even actors came in the spotlight for facing the same struggles as ordinary women. A sense of unity and belonging is almost always generated from viral trends.
One may argue that these trends are only accessible to people with internet and smartphones; and that a majority section of the world’s population has no idea about these trends. A fair argument, but nevertheless, social media has brought in a big change in the way we function as individuals.
Social media determines fashion trends, entertainment, social issues, and is an awesome way of generating awareness on issues that matter. So many NGOs capture a bigger audience by managing their online content and presence. A whole new subject of education (Digital Marketing) has evolved die to the larger than life impact of social media on our lives. It is difficult to imagine sustainability and growth for business which do not have an online presence.
Viral trends are here to stay. Love them or hate them, but we have to acknowledge the impact of these trends in our daily life. The laughs, the smiles and the moving of our emotions- they all come from the little videos and pictures we see on social media.
