The Internet's Transformation: Culture, Identity, and Social Impact

This essay analyzes the profound impact of the internet on culture, exploring how it has transformed human life and cultural identities. It defines culture as a set of ideological beliefs and social behaviors, then discusses how the internet facilitates cultural homogenization through social networking and easy access to information. While the internet promotes global citizenship by enabling the exchange of information, it also leads to a decline in cultural uniqueness. The essay examines how the internet makes cultural traits easily imitable and influences norms and beliefs, potentially leading to a "Me-centered society." It also addresses the spread of inauthentic information and its role in social conflict, ultimately arguing that the internet, while fostering democratic ideals, can also undermine unique socio-cultural values. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments.

Running head: CULTURE
Culture
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1CULTURE
There is no gain stating how the internet has been able to transform human life and
helping them getting more aware and enlightened about what is happening around. Internet
which offers easy and convenient access to a variety of information nevertheless has remarkable
impact on the culture and ideological beliefs of the people.
Before analyzing the impact of internet on culture, it is important to define culture. The
culture is defined as a set of ideological beliefs and social behavior, a person of specific region or
nation subscribes to. First of all, the advent of the internet has made the homogenization of
culture possible. As more and more people staying across the globe are able to get connected via
social networking sites such as Facebook, and Twitter, the netizens are able to get benefitted
from exchange of information (Kiesler 2014). However, while every citizen is becoming a global
citizen by gaining knowledge about the culture such as food or clothes of other nations, people
are also losing their cultural uniqueness and social identity. Each culture is distinct in its own
way, and its cultural characteristics make it unique and extraordinary. However, as every
information of the other culture is readily available on the internet, and people of one country or
religion can easily interact and exchange views with that of the other, the cultural uniqueness of
each group of people is witnessing a steady decline (Porter 2013). Besides, so far the unique
elements of a specific culture belonged and stayed with the people of that culture only. However,
presently internet has made cultural communication easier, as information related to one culture
is readily available on the online journals and blogs, making the cultural traits easily imitable.
Besides, the norms and ideological beliefs also form an integral part of the culture of any
place. Before the advent of the internet, people used to be a little conservative when it comes to
adhere to their cultural norms. However, presently the users of internet believe in seeing
themselves as the citizens of the world and subscribing to the religion of humanity at large.

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Hence, often they tend to dismiss the importance of staying true to the traditional beliefs and
socio-cultural norms that has been so far as integral aspect of their culture. However, at the same
time, this has led to the rise of the “Me-centered society,” characterized by an increased
emphasis on individual growth and a decline in community principles in general (Curran et al.
2016). However, while people are benefitting through the unimpeded flow of communication,
nevertheless, often people engaged in internet for a prolonged period of time, tend to be misled
by inauthentic information. This leads them to make an inapt comment, that is going viral in a
moment, and while the people might be believing that the comment is making them popular,
their comment is becoming the cause of social conflict as well (Bennett 2014). As a result, the
cultural values of a tradition which teach the people to stay self-restrained are losing their
relevance in the world of internet.
The Internet as well as the Web constitutes the technological infrastructure of the entire
global network. While the internet is helping people embrace other cultural beliefs and ideals,
making them more democratic, the internet is often destroying the unique socio-cultural values
of the people of a region.

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Reference List:
Bennett, A., 2014. Youth Culture and the Internet: A Subcultural or Post-Subcultural
Phenomena?. Subcultures, Popular Music and Social Change, pp.89-104.
Curran, J., Fenton, N. and Freedman, D., 2016. Misunderstanding the internet. Routledge.
Kiesler, S., 2014. Culture of the Internet. Psychology Press.
Porter, D., 2013. Internet culture. Routledge.