The world is slowly but surely becoming a smaller place. No, the planet is not shrinking (or not that we know of anyway!) and nope, the world isn’t seeing its continents shifting to take us back to the start of the planet when one enormous continent, Pangea, reigned supreme on Earth. Instead, the planet is shrinking in a purely metaphorical way simply in terms of how quickly and how efficiently we can now communicate. In fact, when it comes to communication, borders are no barrier in 2017.
Mentions of globalization and a shrinking world tend to make people think of trade and perhaps some of the more negative concepts associated with this rather loaded phrase. However, the truth is that part of a globalized world means being interconnected in lots of incredible ways. We now have technology at our disposal that allows us to share our lives with people we have never met before, so those living in Ontario can communicate with those living in Osaka and Oslo.
A Social World
In the 1990s and early 2000s, those who enjoyed spending time on their computers were unfairly (or fairly depending upon your point of view!) labeled as nerds who didn’t necessarily want to mix with people in the “real world”.
“Facebook” by Christopher (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Fast forward to the modern day, and almost all teenagers are stuck to the screens of their smartphone, sharing aspects of their lives on the internet. This might be through an update on an Instagram account, showing off the latest meal they’ve eaten, or perhaps taking part in showing their support for a global event, like the recent tragic tower block fire in London, where a global response on the internet and through Twitter helped to bring the world together to support those affected by raising money or showing compassion.
Gaming in Groups
Of course, social media has emerged to become the big player in terms of helping to push this interconnected world, but gaming has also emerged as a big player in shrinking the world metaphorically. Let’s take eSport growth as an example. eSports global revenue is expected to smash through the 1 billion US dollar mark come 2019, helping to push iGaming as a growing market on a global scale, even in far-flung places such as India and Africa, which are perhaps not your expected markets. Crucially, it is the social aspect of these areas of gaming that have helped to drive growth.
If you want an example of how this growth has manifested, take a look at a company like SlotsOnlineCanada to see just how many games are available to suit every different taste. Players, regardless of skill level, are able to find a game to suit their interests and social levels, no matter where they are in the world. What’s more, virtual reality games and even augmented reality games have allowed us to bridge borders even more readily; you could be playing a game against someone on the other side of the world, but thanks to VR, you feel like you could reach out and touch them.
As technology and the social aspects of the internet continue to make the world a smaller place, it will be fascinating to see what this social growth will help to make more popular, allowing people to socialize online in different ways, whether through Instagram or simply during a game of poker.
Comments are closed.