Question

Has the widespread use of electronic communication technology (internet, mobile phones, social media, etc.) significantly reduced cultural lag? Elaborate your answer with examples and logical arguments

Answer 1

Answer:

Yes, the widespread use of electronic communication technology has reduced cultural lag because information is shared much more widely and the average person has the ability to make their ideas and opinions more public more easily than in the past.  

Explanation:

Cultural lag is defined as the relatively slower advance of a particular aspect of a culture, especially nonmaterial elements like meanings or beliefs. One example would be how the use of the internet has increased drastically during the pandemic, while before the pandemic employers resisted the idea of working from home and many employees also felt that virtual meetings were not as effective as face-to-face meetings. We are now seeing some of these biases about technology and virtual work being challenged and overcome given our new circumstances. Ideas are now shared across borders much more easily so governments especially in the Global South are now held to standards that are more international than in the past and human rights issues can be more easily shared and reacted to on a transnational level. This is one reason why countries that are not as open socially and politically like China are so keen to control the modes of communication like the internet.