Live from the Earth

The operative word here is ‘live’ – kick by kick, goal by goal, as it happens. Arthur C. Clarke, who in 1945 first envisaged the use of geostationary satellites for global broadcasting, once suggested a neat phrase to sum up this remarkable phenomenon: How the World was One.
For the past month, the winning formula for unifying the Global Family seemed to be: international football + live broadcasts + live coverage via the web and mobile phones.
And it’s by no means a passive family of couch potatoes. Media and telecom companies have launched mobile applications, most of which offer live scores, news updates or interactive features. Some integrated with social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. As Associated Press reported when the tournament kicked off: “With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet".
Online or offline, the result is the same: people from all walks of life are endlessly debating individual games and speculating on the eventual outcomes. How refreshing it is that, for once, we are arguing about a game, and not politics, economics or reigion.
If only we could continue to live on Planet Football… These myriad conversations are unfolding to the upbeat tune of the FIFA World Cup Anthem, “Wavin' Flag” (The Celebration Mix). Sung by Somali-Canadian artist K'naan, it might as well be our planetary anthem -- an idea that some social activists and artistes have dreamed about for decades.

Tweet