The Future of Communication in the 21st Century

In the space of just a few years, the Internet has blossomed from an arcane tool used primarily by academics and government researchers into a worldwide mass communications medium that has rapidly become the backbone of all communications and financial transactions within society and the new global economy. No previous telecommunications advance – not the telephone, the television, cable television, the VCR, the fax or even the cellular telephone is having more cultural and political impact on the global media landscape than the Internet. It has not just penetrated public consciousness but has secured widespread public adoption.

The potential for a rebirth of democracy and citizen participation in global governance issues is enormous. It is clear that communications will continue to play a comprehensive and critical role in the expansion of the global economy and the global and the world community. The interdependency of nations that is driving globalization is unquestionably economic, but the social and political integration and interdependence are also very real. Interdisciplinary understanding of the connections between social and political needs and concerns, and mechanisms for harmonizing such differences must be a priority for governments and institutions. This will require a new global awareness of world affairs by citizens everywhere.