Connecting People
The world wide web makes our planet a smaller place: we can reach someone in Japan just as easy as out neighbor round the corner. We can use Ebay to browse second hand items for sale from anywhere in the world. We can increase our knowledge of other cultures without having to leave the safety of our house. The internet is like Nokia, “connecting people”.
There’s no doubt about the fact that the internet allows us to mingle with other individuals who before you would have never been able to talk to. OK, you’re never completely sure if the 19 year old girl from Hawai is not a 60 year old man from Dusseldorf, but still you’re able to meet people you don’t run into at your local supermarket.
We can assume that by surfing the net you will learn at least something about other cultures and countries. By chatting with different people, reading webzines from all-over and buying things on eBay you encounter stories from all over the world. However, as Dutch football legend Johan Cruijff would say: “Every advantage has it’s disadvantage.”
Just as it’s easy nowadays to stay up to date on Kenya from behind your computer in Amsterdam, it’s also very simple to find out what’s happening in The Netherlands from Nairobi. I find myself to be more up to date on Dutch news than some people in Holland, even when I don’t want to. Logging out of my Hotmail, I automatically see the Dutch news headlines. Through a site of the public broadcasters I can watch any TV show that has been aired in my home country and of course all local newspapers are online nowadays.
In principal there’s nothing wrong about staying in touch with your friends through the email. Following the news in your home country during a mayor event is also not a crime, but take it a couple of steps further and the same tool that can lead to global exploration also leads to cultural isolation.
Remember the Dutch pensioners from my first diary entry? Their island is created through the internet connection and satelite dish. Had those not been there, they would be forced to follow the local news and make new friends in their new surroundings. Now they stay connected to their former home which makes them live in between two worlds.
The same applies to me in a way: now that I know I’m almost going home, I slowly start to read more Dutch news again and the frequency of emails with people back home is on the increase as well. Instead of abruptly being pulled out off my Kenyan life, I start to make plans for back home again and preparee for my “Dutch life” by using the internet. You could say a small part of my mind is already back in Holland although it should still be here, focussing on Kenyan affairs.
As you see, the internet can make the world a smaller place, giving people the opportunity to meet individuals from all over with the click of a mouse. On the contrary, it can also lead to social isolation for people who are physically abroad but with their minds stuck in their home country,courtesy of the world wide web. In the end, I guess we can only come to one conclusion: Johan Cruijff was right. Every advantage has it’s disadvantage!
UPDATE: As an attentive reader pointed out, Johan Cruijff’s quote should be “Every disadvantage has its advantage (“Elk nadeel heb z’n voordeel”)” instead of the other way around. However, I can blame it on my source www.floor.nl/animalorg/salvador.html where it is listed as “Every advantage has its disadvantage”. Nevertheless, a good journalist should double-check his sources so shame on me. Thanks Kees!
Originally published on Inside Africa (insideafrica.tv), 2006.