The existence of globalization for quite a few decades has led various cultures to influence one another and become more alike through trade, immigration, and the exchange of information and ideas. Besides, in this age of information and technologies, pervasiveness of media has promoted significant influence of global culture on that of local. In recent decades, the degree and intensity of the connections among different cultures and different world regions have accelerated dramatically because of advances in telecommunications and a rapid increase in economic and financial interdependence worldwide.
Nowadays in addition to their local identity, people develop a global identity that gives them a sense of belonging to a worldwide culture and includes an awareness of the events, practices, styles, and information that are part of the global culture. Television is crucial in the process of developing a global identity, because it provides exposure to people, events, and information from all over the world. However, for future generations of children and adolescents, the Internet is likely to be even more important, because it allows direct communication with other people worldwide.At present people tend to develop a bicultural identity, which means that a local identity is retained alongside a global identity, and sometimes they might even develop multicultural identity.
Whatever might be the case, there is no doubt that local cultures are being modified by global ones. Many a times it is seen that rather than adopting a bicultural identity people tend to retain a hybrid identity, combining local culture and elements of the global culture. The integration of local and global culture increases local cultural diversity.From one point of view, cultures have never been pure; they have always been influenced by notions from other cultures, but resiliency of culture mainly prevents its own values being contaminated by extrinsic influences.
In some cases this integration can cause damage to local culture. If we consider this phenomenon in our country, we will see that with its massive entertainment schedules and the spectacular production, the Indian channels are now influencing various classes of viewers in Bangladesh and creating a new phase of cultural dependence.Due to the aggression of these channels it has become really tough for the local channels to stand their ground. On the other hand, we are also being able to learn about foreign cultures from various sources and thus expanding our global boundary.
Technological change today is quicker than before, so the changed speed of technology leads to a different way for cultures to adapt. Hence, this leads to some cultures being at risk of being overwhelmed or unable to resist foreign cultural influences.Whereas in the past the movement of influence was slower and interaction between cultures developed over long period of time, which caused absorption of foreign ideas more gradual and thus less threatening as compared to today. At the conclusion it can be said that influence of global culture on local can be tolerated as long as it does not hamper the originality of the local culture; but anything straying from this principle should be avoided.
