The boundaries of culture are moving from being based regionally, around a geographic center, to being based around group interests and voluntary associations. Before the internet, cultures did not spread further than the city or the state. That's why you have regional accents, fashions typical to Milan or Paris, and quite a variation in the type of language used. Back then you generally had to read to local paper, talk to the neighbors or watch the national tv to know what was going on. Everyone else in your city did the same, and your outlook and projection of yourself was based around this - a circle of dissemination which was greatest in the middle of the city and got weaker the further you go out. In the Internet Age the information you receive depends on the sites you choose to visit. This could be anywhere (or nowhere) in the world, so your internet experience - and hence cultural background - both depend on what your interests are. Right now this is a fairly small concern - there are few enough TV shows and internet sites that people generally watch at least some of the same stuff or receive some of the same information. But that is changing and when internet media keeps growing and branching out, soon two people will be able to spend their whole lives never seeing or hearing the same two things as each other, at least from the same source - which is very important. Given our increasing reliance on delocalized media and projecting this into the future, soon would be conceivable to be surrounded by completely different personalities in a town, rather than living in a cultural niche known for certain idiosyncracies.
Due to modern communication we are privy to an increased volume of cultural expressions. There is still geographical separation of cultures. You do not learn chinese as a first language growing up in an wasp household.
why cant the internet cause peoples personalities to become more similar? if people start looking for the truth and all the information that is on the internet we all may start having like ideas, or personalities.
As long as people have preferences. Many people would rather fight than switch when it comes to cultural identity.
Really? Go to Europe and see how many people now speak English. There wouldn't have been nearly as many a hundred years ago. And not only that, but many non-English language speakers have an entirely English-language online personality, communicating in English by email, facebook, forums, youtube, etc. That number is growing fast.
We are already similar in personality. We all possess the same mammalian brain chemicals. If people start looking for truth it would be a big deal. Right now we are all taught to follow our dreams.
I agree we have increased communication and when you strip away cultural distinction we find we are all the same. But even on the internet, cultural norms are developing. There are ideas that become influential to the world community, modern medicine is one. I think to have a working understanding of this world it is beneficial to become more personally culturally diverse in order to appreciate our sameness as opposed to becoming culturally homogenous. As long as people have preferences that they think distinguishes themselves from others then cultural affectations will develop.
