Globalization is a process of interaction between people, companies and governments of different nations. It is driven by international trade and the development of information technology. We observe its results in all spheres of our life. It has great influence on our environment, culture, political and economic systems. Globalization can be described as movement of people, goods, investments, labour and ideas all over the world. Of course it’s impossible to define whether globalization is good or bad. It has both pros and cons. Some people just hate globalization and find it threatening for national cultures. Others believe that free trade between countries offers prosperity and economic growth for all nations and businesses.

Today we know a lot of world-famous brands. Wherever we are, we are likely to have lunch at a fast-food restaurant McDonald’s. We can find Coca Cola or Lipton tea at any store. And these products are offered almost in every country. Multinational companies create additional work places for local people. But there is a negative side here because it’s hard for small domestic firms to compete with worldly recognized companies. That’s why they often incur great losses.

Globalization gives me freedom in choosing a place for holidays, in purchasing goods made in a country I prefer most. We can easily get acquainted with other traditions, customs and national cuisines. Living in Russia, for example, we can try new dishes in Japanese, Italian or Georgian restaurants. But on the other hand, little by little we forget about our own culture and the youth starts losing old traditions. Globalization destroys cultural identity.

Another benefit of globalization is advances in information technology. Thanks to the Internet I can get almost any information I need. It helps me with my education and with my studies at the university too. We can participate in international educational programs, communicate with pen-friends from other countries, apply for a piece of advice to any professional through the Internet.

Another advantage of the era of globalization is that I have an opportunity to get closer to my friends and distant relatives by sending messages and exchanging photos and videos. However the Internet completely transformed our communication and we meet each other in reality less and less nowadays.