Since Zheng He sailed the Indian Ocean and Columbus discovered America, the world has transitioned from an assortment of separate civilizations to an interconnected "Earth village," where people and goods frequently traverse borders. Some have even gone so far as to say that the world is now "flat," thanks to the equalizing effects of a global economy.

Away from world history, how should we, as teenagers in 2024, think about the world in relation to ourselves? And how do we reconcile our

own cultures with what's trending worldwide? As someone who frequents non-Chinese news sources, reads more English books than Chinese

ones, but attends high school in China where the tide is turning against Western cultural influence, these questions are especially relevant.

Each country has its own unique history and traditions that must not be forgotten. Advocating for a single, globalized culture is both wrong

and impractical. Neither can we close our eyes to the benefits of cross-cultural exchange.

The point, then, is to find the equilibrium between passing down traditional culture and getting the most out of the global exchange of ideas.

The first lesson of economics is that people face trade-offs. Scarcity of time means that we cannot fully immerse ourselves in both worlds. We

must approach the dilemma with a clear head. Our own culture should be the base, and foreign culture should be the building on top. As citizens of distinct countries, our first obligation is to pass down the traditions of our home countries. Only then can we look at other cultures with confidence and true openness.

As the world enters an intense period of geopolitical competition, the cultural scene is also becoming more diverse as a result. No longer are Hollywood blockbusters the only show in town. Asian cultural heavyweights such as South Korea, China, and Japan are exporting their ancient and popular cultural products around the world. Korean K-pop, Japanese anime, Chinese games, and TikTok are taking the world by storm. While we are dazzled by these shiny new things, we must not forget where we come from.