We are increasingly relying on digital platforms which have a huge impact on local cultures and thought processes. This raises critical concerns about the future of our cultural identity
There was a time when people from a village knew each other. A minute change in a person's behaviour shall bring to the attention of others. Children were safe in that society. Every town or every place in our country has a uniqueness in its culture, traditions, language, food habits, products produced, and even a story to tell. Colonisation, both external and internal, characterised by the exercise of control by one group over another, has profoundly impacted rewriting history.
The motivations behind it have been many, encompassing economic profit, territorial expansion, religious conversion, and geopolitical power, among other considerations. In earlier times, it was foreigners who intruded into the local community; now, the movement of native people from one place to another has changed the demographic profile of a region.For many individuals, the consequences of colonialism have been devastating, resulting in the deliberate destruction of cultural customs, the exploitation of individuals, and the forced displacement of populations. The cultural erasure caused by colonisation is one of its most enduring impacts. Colonizers often portrayed their own cultures as superior, leading to the suppression of indigenous languages, religions, and customs. In that process, we even lost the local economies that were thriving in our society.
Even the different dialects spoken by people of a state or region have been lost because of outside interaction. This has even been reflected in the literary works created during the time. Unfortunately, with colonisation, we made our society a homogeneous one. This can be observed when we travel across the country. The uniform way we built our infrastructure in our cities has made every city look the same.
Until the late 90s, every place in our country was known by some unique geography, a specific market, or even the presence of a person. Nevertheless, colonialism has also led to the exchange of knowledge, culture, food habits, concepts, and technology between the native and colonised populations.
In the 21st century, the internet has brought about a new type of colonisation that has begun infiltrating our society. This new form of colonisation is known as digital colonisation.
The term "digital colonisation" refers to the dominance of numerous multinational technology businesses, the majority of which are based in the United States and a few wealthy nations, over the digital infrastructure and data of the entire world. For all of our day-to-day requirements, we began to rely more on digital platforms, reducing the amount of personal interaction.
This new digital culture has infiltrated even the remotest parts of our country.
These digital titans prioritise everything in our lives, including what we should buy, who we should be friends with, where to study, which course to study, and even where to give birth. This can potentially destroy local traditions and languages, as most language formats used today are designed to suit digital platforms. People started believing blindly whatever is available on digital platforms. The addiction is so severe that the auto and taxi drivers of Delhi-NCR, who had excellent navigation skills earlier using the brain, have shifted to Google Maps.
Global IT giants promote a universal digital culture for various reasons, many of which are tied to their business models and growth strategies. Although this digital culture promotes global connectivity, information accessibility and collaboration, it also has the potential to obscure regional diversity and traditional lifestyles. The concentration of power in the hands of a few tech companies, cultural erasure, and privacy are all concerns raised by the dominance of these corporations.
(The writer is an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies; views are personal)
