Nowadays, social media became a huge part of our everyday lives. We used to scroll through our feed and watch a lot of completely different trends from all over the world. Some people see this as a positive form of global cultural exchange, while others believe it leads to cultural homogenisation. In this essay i will discuss both sides and give my own opinion.
On the one hand there are different reasons why global trends can be beneficial for different peoples and cultures. People may being aware of local traditions and symbols even if they are not able to visit foreign countries by their own. Social media is a very convenient tool for sharing ideas and values. Therefore we can use them for cultural exchange. For example, people around the world started to celebrate Halloween thanks for it’s popularity on social media. And many people adapt American traditions of celebration to their own habits and mindset.
On the other hand, trends on social media can be dangerous for local cultures due to universal standards. Critics believe that social media often presents an unrealistic image and create different reasons for homogenisation. Influencers can show particular ideas and trends as a perfect ones. Consequently, people may compare their cultural features with others. They can start to ignore their own traditions and choose the universal and popular ones. For example, a lot of young people in Russia stop being interested in national culture. It sounds more fascinating for them to study western music or cinema.
In conclusion, despite all the disadvantages of global trends on social media, I strongly believe that they can be useful for our communication and exchange of values around the world. But we shouldn’t forget about unique local traditions and cultural differences and characteristics.