Banter Without Borders

Technology, Globalization and China: Too Much, Too Soon?

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There is no denying it: technology has made globalization possible. It has, in large measure, flattened the world and leveled the playing field, bringing cultures and countries together in ways we wouldn’t have thought possible, even twenty years ago. For tech geeks new and seasoned, this has been a blessing and a joy, with each new development bringing welcome challenges and opportunities. But, alas, new technological advances have always had their downsides as well, affecting not only basic skills and strengths but cultural constructs such as family structure and the social fabric as well. Way back in the 20th century, the invention of the TV caused worries about the loss of imagination and creativity, as people would, going forward, be fed visual images. The advent of the electronic calculator similarly caused concern that mathematical prowess would suffer, as simple operations would no longer need to be done in one’s head. More recently, as computers burst on the scene, and the rate of technological progress suddenly seemed to take off at unprecedented speed, the price has been paid, many would argue, in the communication sphere, as huge swaths of etiquette and social decency seem to have fallen by the wayside with each new upgrade, particularly where social media is concerned (And talk about infectious – even the players at Copenhagen have been dubbed “Facebook Bureaucrats”*).

What happens, though, when after years of government imposed deprivation, a country, never mind one of the world’s fastest growing superpowers, suddenly leapfrogs over the computer age’s early by-products  -- “instant messaging, video streaming, online gaming and interactive media,” to name a few -- and drops full throttle into the present, missing the decade where such developments transitioned naturally? According to a recent article in the Financial Times**, the consequences for China’s youth are dire for many, as internet addiction has recently surfaced as a serious social problem there (and in China, eroding values are already posing a cultural challenge to the centuries' old nation steeped in tradition). The notion of Chinese teenagers addicted to their computers isn’t exactly shocking, especially given the aura of forbidden territory resulting from so much policing of internet activity. Besides, as it’s the rare individual anywhere these days who is not helplessly hooked on one tech device or another, it’s a refrain we’re certainly used to hearing. In China’s case, though, it’s the degree and seriousness of this addiction which is troubling. The FT article cites a recent film which chronicles dozens of sobering cases of China’s wayward youth involving even murder, and “pinpoints the internet as the scourge leading kids astray and tearing families apart.”

In response, many of these teenagers are now being sent by their parents to bootcamps throughout China, of which there are currently over 300***; and with the country’s dubious track record where human rights are concerned, it is all the more worrisome to hear of the questionable conditions and “inhumane methods” under which these youth are weaned of their internet addictions. Since we’re dealing here with the future workforce of a country which perhaps holds more promise and potential than any other nation at the moment, this is not something to be taken lightly.  With China facing so many unique challenges as it moves up the global success ladder, and with technology sure to keep racing ahead, let’s hope that its youth’s internet addiction crisis recedes before too long.