Globalisation has had a major impact on traditional customs and cultures around the world. Although globalisation offers every local culture an opportunity to be globally recognised and renowned, it also results in people practising globally accepted trends and fashions more. This shift in global audience causes the identity and existence of traditional customs to be at risk, making globalisation a bad development.
Globalisation itself is not a bad development. It has major benefits in trade, tourism and international exchanges. It allows individuals a chance to explore and indulge in global affairs, trends, culture and places. It allows local cultures to be globally known through tourism and other experiences. There are many such examples of traditions which were once locally celebrated but now have gained global recognition due to globalisation, like Christmas, Holi and Diwali. On the other hand, globalisation has also resulted in the dissolution of harmful social practices like dowry culture and Sati Pratha. But the positives of globalisation on traditions are only limited to those few examples.
There are countless negative effects of globalisation. Exposure to international trends and cultures has negatively influenced youths towards their own culture. The FOMO, COOL and other countless cultures of social media and globalisation have brainwashed people to try new globally accepted things, leaving behind their own cultures. There are some cases of people being embarrassed of their own cultures just because they are not popular enough. This common mindset brought by globalisation has resulted adversely in local cultures. In addition to that, people leaving their own country to go to foreign countries is also rising. Although initially everyone plans to come back to their own country, only a few of them really come back. Others get settled in foreign lands and leave their local festivals, traditions and cultures behind. More importantly, when people move permanently to a new country, their future generations grow up in a foreign environment without any knowledge about their origins and traditions. Ultimately, due to lack of international exposure, native audience practices and cultural shifts, these traditional cultures disappear completely.
In conclusion, although globalisation can help local cultures and traditions gain international recognition, I believe it has a greater negative impact on traditional customs. The influence of global trends, changing lifestyles and international migration can gradually reduce people’s connection with their own cultures and put their survival at risk.