In The World is Flat, Friedman describes the genesis of the interconnected world that is experienced in the present. By then, the application of information communication technology in conducting businesses and offshoring of services to faraway places seemed magical (Yale University). Nowadays, it is the rule, not the exception. His prediction about the uptake of open source items such as the Linux operating system has not matured well, as Microsoft Windows still continues to dominate the market outside the United States. Friedman’s book gives a good account of the foundations laid to prop the internet-based applications that are now enjoyed throughout the world. During the writing of the book, the applications of IT were mostly formal and run by professionals. However, the application of IT has moved beyond the formal settings and is increasingly used by individuals for recreation, informal communication, and cultural exchange.
Majority of the world’s population even in the developing countries now have access to the internet. This has been made possible by wireless communication technology and the advent of the smartphones. Further, social media has been embraced by so many people as a medium of exchange and content creation (Fischer). People are no longer dependent on the conventional media for information and place more trust on what they find online. This development in technology has introduced a set of challenges that were not envisaged at the time the book was written. First off, people tend to surrender a lot of private information on their social media profiles. The social media corporation uses the data of the users for targeted online advertising (Fischer). The ethics behind the used of this private data for commercial purposes has been hotly contested. Amazon and other internet-based companies have taken over the logistics and supply chain, effectively competing against established companies such as Walmart. The globalization that Friedman had stumbled upon when writing the book was just the beginning of a revolution that is gaining momentum every passing year.
Work Cited
Fischer, Sascha. “If the World really is Flat, we Need a New Outlook on the Horizon.” Industry Week (2016) ProQuest. Web. 25 May 2019. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1781104185/DEF49D18FA8D48CBPQ/5?accountid=1611
Yale University. The World Is Flat. 2009. Web. 25 May 2019. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53vLQnuV9FY