There are many differences between 21st and 20th century globalization; however, none are more recognizable than those caused by technology. In this essay, I will focus on how 21st century globalization differed from 20th century globalization from a technological perspective and how it affected the movements of people, information, goods and services across the world.
Technological innovations of the early 20th century, such as the passenger plane, enabled the transportation of people, information, goods and services at a speed that was unavailable to people of the previous century. However, it was largely inaccessible to the common person and limited in scale. These same characteristics applied to technologies, invented towards the end of the 20th century, such as the personal computer, smart phone and the
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Social media platforms with millions of users such as Facebook and Twitter have disrupted traditional forms of communication by replacing the need to speak on the phone and interact in person. Uber and Lyft, applications that provide ride hailing
The benefits of the internet and smartphone can be seen in the displacement and settlement of refugees around the world. services, have put the traditional taxi industry in jeopardy by making it easier for people to instantly request affordable transportation in almost any location around the world. Airlines and train companies have created applications that make it easy for people to quickly book and pay for digital tickets without the need of a human travel agent.
In conclusion, technology has been one of the driving factors behind globalization throughout modern times, and its widespread adoption in the 21st century has made the movement of people, information, goods and services almost instantaneous when compared to the speed of the 20th