The World Is Flat

Talk about information overload! Every single page of this book is packed with information, concepts, and ideas. I feel like I would have appreciated this book more if I had had the time to read it more slowly. Then again, I am not going to lie, Doc; I did skip over some pages because it was just so much. I would have preferred reading this over a long period of time, say ten to twenty pages a day, and then mulling over Friedman’s words. I am definitely a mull-er. I need time to think about everything. While I do love reading, my preferred genre is fiction, so I usually do not read non-fiction books such as this one. Nevertheless, this book was quite interesting and slightly alarming. Not to mention, I also learned about many new words, concepts, and ideas and had a brief history review session as well.

A few days ago, I found myself sitting in the social security office in the federal building downtown. I noticed a sign on the wall that said SSA’s Tele- Service Center. It invited people with any questions about social security to phone a certain number and speak to an expert. Suddenly, I found myself wondering if the experts on the other end of the line were even in this country. Maybe they were actually sitting at desks in Bangalore, India. Then again, because the questions would be concerning social security, that might be kind of sketchy to have people from other countries answering them. That is beside the point though, because before reading The World Is Flat, this thought never would have even crossed my mind. As I sat staring at the sign, I made a mental note to include that moment in my response because it is a testament to how much this book has already influenced my thoughts.

Reading The World Is Flat has taught me so much from what www and http stand for to why our world is now “flat.” Now I can sound really smart if anyone ever says to me, “What does www and http stand for?” Moving on to another topic, at one point in the book Friedman describes how the mayor of some Chinese city said that currently, the Americans are the architects and designers, and the developing countries, such as China, are the bricklayers. This made me wonder; What happens when the roles are reversed and countries such as China are the architects? What will the United States be? Obsolete? And when will this happen, because in my opinion, unless things really change within the next few years, this is inevitable. The United States has been on the top for so long, so I wonder what will happen when that changes.

A few months ago as I was listening to NPR on the way to school with my mom, I heard an interesting story about China and the United States, and reading this book reminded me of it. The Chinese man being interviewed said that he believed that the United States has three big advantages over all the other countries in the world: A stable democratic government, a high level of education available to all, and I think the last was connectivity between all areas of the nation. However, if the media did not make it obvious enough, this book provides ample evidence that China is quickly catching up and might soon pass the United States. It is quite frightening, the rate at which China is modernizing and adapting to today’s world. I think China’s greatest strength is its ambition. The people of China are so motivated to succeed, and this is frightening because it seems like Americans have become used to being on top and therefore no longer feel that same drive that the Chinese do.

I could continue discussing this book and my thoughts about it for a long time, but this response is only suppose to be a page, so I will end with these last thoughts. Today, life moves so fast. There is so much competition, and it is truly survival of the fittest. However, today, survival of the fittest does not mean brute strength. Instead, to survive, one must be intelligent, creative, and resilient. I think it is very interesting how Friedman also discusses how right brained people are taking over, and more and more, education is stressing the liberal arts. This reminded me of something I heard; In medical school, students are now required to take art classes because it makes them see things in a new and different way. It makes them more aware of their surroundings, and as a result, they make clearer observations. I find this incredibly fascinating.

Not only is this information era frightening and exhilarating, but it also makes me feel sad. As the pace of life continues to increase, I am worried that people will stop appreciating the small things in life because they are too busy trying to get ahead or stay ahead of the game. I read a saying on a picture frame once that I really like, and it was, “Perhaps the meaning of life is to appreciate every moment.” Every revolution in history has had a profound impact on the world, and I am positive that the information revolution will be no different. The question is, will the impact ultimately be positive or negative? I am worried that because life is like a race now, people will lose sight of their values. I believe that happiness should not be given up for anything, even success, and nothing is worth it if you do not enjoy your life. However, will my grandchildren believe this too? Or will their minds have been stolen by the power of technology?