Tecnology

The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented diffusion of network technologies into
developing countries. The technological discourse attending this diffusion has presented the new
media as a utopian, egalitarian and empowering tool with the potential of ushering in a new era of
development, democracy, and positive cultural change. This paper examines the economic,
cultural, and political effects of the Internet within the historical context of developing countries.
The paper traces the politically-inspired evolution of the Internet, its transfer into developing
countries, and the economic, cultural, and political consequences of this transfer. Existing data
indicate that the implementation of the Internet in most developing countries has served as a
drain to the local resources, thus exacerbating their economic dependency on foreign nations. On
a cultural level, the Internet’s predominantly Western design, content, and language have
facilitated the proliferation of alien cultural patterns at the expense of the social experiences of the
local cultures. Lastly, the Internet’s build-in tracking capabilities and its current manipulation for
political purposes on international and national levels serves to empower the existing ruling elites
in developing countries and perpetuates the disempowerment of the rest of the society. The
paper proposes alternative approaches to internet adoption, where Internet initiatives are
embedded and placed in the service of the general development goals of developing countries.
INTRODUCTION
The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented diffusion of network technologies into
developing countries. The technological discourse attending and encouraging the adoption of the
new media, particularly the Internet, has centered on their potential to accelerate national
development efforts, bring about favorable socio-cultural changes, and open up public spheres
for free and democratic discourse (Hudson, 2000; Huff, 2001;...