Globalization of digital media has radically changed the ways in which people across various cultures interact with the media messages present in the world around them. While in the past, media literacy was not expected or necessary in order for an individual to navigate the day-to-day operations of their lives, the technological advances of today’s society have made it challenging for those without these abilities to understand and connect to those around them. Elizabeth Thoman and Tessa Jolls’ article “Media Literacy: A National Priority for a Changing World” explores how media literacy has become a crucial skill that must be fostered and developed from a young age. They write, “the goal of media literacy is not to memorize facts about media or even be able to make a video or design a PowerPoint. Rather the goal is to explore questions that arise when one engages critically with a mediated message.” Focusing on the who’s and why’s of a specific piece of media can lead to a greater understanding of the world around us. Thoman and Jolls also specify the ways in which media literacy applies to a variety of media types, including visual. A specific example of this in today’s global culture is the popularity of memes, which can be understood across cultural and geographical boundaries. Through a simple image, multiple layers of meaning can be expressed, and media literacy on a global scale allows these meanings to be understood. Take this meme, for example:
This photo requires no extended explanation for a media literate person. The “distracted boyfriend” meme has been in circulation online since 2017, and makes reference to a famously comedic character from the Spider-Man comic universe.
Memes are just one of the many ways that the globalization of digital culture has bridged gaps between different communities. In “Does Globalization Mean We Will Become One Culture?” by Mark Pagel, Pagel cites the presence of Starbucks coffee houses around the world as another form of media, because it exists as an unchanging constant which can be relied upon to provide similar experiences to all of its customers. Though oceans away, two people’s shared Starbucks experience serves as a connection which provides common ground, making the world feel like a much smaller place. While media globalization has in some ways proved a valuable cross-cultural tool, the article also addresses factors which may hinder the growth of a unified culture, such as resources and demography. According to Pagel, different societies will be less inclined to “cooperate” as it becomes less beneficial to do so, and as the standard of living rises among poorer populations. He writes, “these factors will cause people to pull back from whatever level of cultural ‘scaling’ they have achieved to the previous level.” Examples of this in current events have included the growth of conservative, far-right political groups with xenophobic ideologies. Even as people have become more connected through media, others have recoiled from this integration of cultures, perceiving it as an attempt to erase their own cultural identity.