The Power of Multicultural Communication in Digital Spaces

As I mentioned in my previous blog, contextualizing digital information matters. We live in a world where books get banned from public schools because individuals claim it is about “divisive and controversial subjects” and “taught Critical Race Theory.”

The contribution I want to make with my second blog is to turn our attention to differences and similarities and how we communicate with each other in multicultural digital spaces, since I socially engage in various global citizen activities daily, including work.

While on this train of thought, I talked with a friend about the importance of the paradox of tolerance and realized that I am a skeptic while cultivating patience and tolerance when dealing with exhausting topics. In a multicultural digital space and global communication, we find ourselves not confined to the borders of a singular nation but rather immersed in a landscape where geopolitical complexities and interconnected issues are analyzed within the parameters of occurring intersectionality. In this context, multiculturalism pertains to the evolving perspectives of digital native populations regarding the acceptance of others, juxtaposed with the prevalent acts of violence and racism that permeate our world.

Acknowledging that our individual positions and social statuses in society substantially influence our cognitive processes and actions is imperative. The privileges we may enjoy are not universal, and pursuing social change necessitates an introspective transformation of ourselves. Hence, change must start with our mindset. Furthermore, racism, a deeply entrenched societal ill, knows no boundaries; it manifests in various ways across Europe, Asia, and the United States. Conversations with individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds who have traversed the globe reveal a tapestry of poignant stories, such as incidents where Chinese students faced aggression within the confines of a Stockholm subway.

When we engage in mass communication, we can expose the pockets of social problems plaguing the world and optimize the nimbleness of the processes of social change that we want in globalization.

So, why are widespread hate crimes in the U.S., Europe, and all around the globe? Does skin color or origin have anything to do with this social phenomenon? What does systemic racism look like, overtly and covertly? We need to start getting the uncomfortable conversations going.

We don’t need to be cognitive scientists to understand what aversive racism looks like in our spaces. Individual perspectives and narratives are critical because they can help create a balanced strategy for implementing multiculturalism, such as in global international governmental organizations.