Globalization and New Communication Technology in a North Indian Urban Setting

The process of globalization in India has brought many changes not only in the sphere of Indian economy but also brought ample scope for the mass media communication to expend its network at global level. The advent of satellite television in the early nineties and new communication technology in the later part of nineties have shape the process of globalization of mass media in Indian subcontinent in a significant manner. Computerization of different private and government organization has not only improved the performance of these organizations but also helped in the growth of service sector in India. The number of internet users and mobile phones has increased tremendously in the recent past. It has enabled fast and uninterrupted communication between the masses located even in remote areas. These new communication technologies are giving rise to new patterns of communication and culture and have great impact of the style of life of their users. The present paper is aimed to understand the social background of the users of new communication technologies and the patterns of mass media exposure as well as patterns of using new communication technology-internet and mobile phone in Ghaziabad town of Uttar Pradesh on  purposive sampling (N=240) using and a highly structured interview schedule. It was found that there was a sharp difference in the patterns of using internet and mobile phone.  The use of mobile phone was relatively wider than the accessibility of the internet. The connectivity of mobile phone is spreading cutting across all caste, class and gender categories but internet connectivity is still confined to some selected sections of the mobile users.