Produces tolerant/responsible world citizens/raises living standard of developing societies

Results in cultural homogenisation (regarded as backwards step)

Changes may not be in sync with each other (spread of American cultural products has been mistaken for globalisation)

If globalisation was truly happening, people would have a greater awareness of the world as one unified place. However, nation-state mentality is still dominant

McLuhan - likened communications/media to giant central nervous system/matrix which ultimately would connect everybody in world as part of one super-culture

Poutney - relationships people have online may be just as significant as those they enjoy offline

Castells - Western societies have entered a period of capitalism in which the main resource is information
Digital forms of communication have decentralised power. Digital technology has resulted in more power in the hands of people

Globally dispersed people with common interests are no longer constrained by geographical distance/time zones

Virtually impossible to perceive inequalities in online relationships because of anonymity associated with being online

Carter - just as much effort is expended on maintaining relationships in cyberspace as on real face-to-face relationships. People who met online would often meet in real life

Boellstorf - virtual worlds can involve immoral/criminal actions/little regulation of avatar behaviour

1) Volume
2) Velocity
3) Variety
4) Variability
5) Complexity