A school of thought that the explosion in commercial and cross-cultural interaction among nations is a rewarding tendency, while the others think myriad nations will end up losing their national characteristics. The purpose of this essay is to discuss both views of this contentious argument and share my personal perspective.
On the one hand, supporters of the latter opinion tend to point out a combination of reasons. First and foremost, the youth in less developed countries could be easily impacted by the multimedia and the entertainment industry from more advanced countries, which is to blame for their excessive admiration and idolization towards these values and for a loss in the traditional genre of arts. This could be exemplified by the influence of K-pop on Vietnamese juveniles, especially females, who are gradually forgetting the existence of traditional forms of singing such as Xam or Cheo due to the cultural homogenization from more powerful nations . Moreover, an environment encouraging multicultural contacts is also prone to the adoption of foreign social evils. For instance, tourists and international employees can bring drugs, which are only legal in their countries, to the other nations and give them to the local residents.
On the other hand, I strongly believe that this is a positive trend due to numerous reasons. First of all, as international companies come to developing countries, they are simultaneously creating more employment opportunities for local peoples and fostering that nation’s economic growth. For example, the factories that Nvidia, Nike and Samsung placed in Vietnam have offered many jobs for the habitants and have significantly improved their living conditions, paving the way for a more prosperous future for the country. In addition, thanks to the exposure to other cultures, some obsolete perspectives can be replaced by more suitable and ethical ones. This could be exemplified by the growth of feminism from all corners of the world thanks to the elimination of stereotypes and underestimation of women in various communities.
In conclusion, while agreeing that there are some undeniable negative impacts such as the loss of national identity or the adoption of foreign social evils, I still stand my ground that this development is extremely rewarding when it comes to national economic growth and replacement of obsolete perspectives.