Why did Friedman consider the core characteristic of Globalization 3.0 to be 'the power of individuals'?

Okay, that's an interesting question. Friedman's book The World Is Flat caused quite a stir back in the day. Let's discuss why he said that in plain language.

Why did Friedman believe the core feature of Globalization 3.0 is "The Power of the Individual"?

Think of it this way: Friedman divided the history of globalization into three stages, like three different versions of a game, where the "protagonist" changes with each version.

Version 1.0: Protagonist - "Nations" (Approximately 1492 to 1800)

Characteristics: The protagonists of this era were explorers like Columbus and the powerful nations behind them, such as Spain, Portugal, and Britain. The driving force of globalization was national expansion and conquest.
Simply put: It was competition between nations – seeing who had stronger ships and cannons, who could seize more colonies. The power of the individual was essentially negligible at this time. You were merely a cog in the large machine of the state.

Version 2.0: Protagonist - "Companies" (Approximately 1800 to 2000)

Characteristics: With the Industrial Revolution, multinational corporations became the protagonists. The advent of railways, steamships, and telephones allowed companies to build factories all over the world and sell products globally. Think of giants like Ford or Coca-Cola.
Simply put: This era was competition between companies. The main drivers of globalization were companies seeking cheaper labor and larger markets. Individuals started to gain some traction. For instance, you could join a multinational as a talented employee, but your power was still largely dependent on the platform of the company you worked for.

Version 3.0: Protagonist - "The Individual" (Starting around 2000)

This brings us to the core of the answer. Friedman believed that around the year 2000, the rules of the game changed completely, making each one of us, the "individual," the protagonist. Why? Because an entirely new, super-powerful "platform" emerged.

This platform isn't a specific website or company, but rather the convergence of several key technologies:

Ubiquity of personal computers (PCs): Put a powerful computing and creation tool in everyone's hands.
Laying of internet fiber-optic networks: This created an information superhighway for the world, making data transmission incredibly cheap and fast.
Standardized software and protocols: Think of this as the world adopting a common "digital language" (like TCP/IP, HTTP, HTML), enabling seamless communication between different computers and systems.

When these three elements combined, a miracle happened. Friedman called it "the world being flattened."

Once "flattened," individuals gained unprecedented power:

The power to compete:
- Previously, an engineer in India couldn't easily compete for the same job as one in the US. Now, via the internet, they can directly take on projects for US companies. Their competitors aren't just people in the next village, but others worldwide. Geography is no longer an absolute barrier.
The power to collaborate:
- You could be a designer, I could be a programmer, and another person could handle marketing. We three, complete strangers, can collaborate on a project or even start a company using online platforms (like GitHub, Slack). This kind of low-cost, cross-border collaboration was unimaginable before.
The power to create and speak out:
- In the past, publishing a book, releasing an album, or getting your views seen required going through large institutions like publishers, record labels, or TV stations.
- Now, you alone can start a blog, become a YouTuber, or open a shop selling your handmade crafts on an e-commerce platform (like Taobao, Etsy). You possess the ability to reach a global audience and consumers directly, no longer requiring large intermediaries.

To summarize

Friedman identified "the power of the individual" as the core of Globalization 3.0 because technology created a "level" platform. On this platform:

In the past, the three most important questions were: Where is your country? Which company do you work for?

Now, the most important question becomes: Who are YOU? What is your imagination and creativity?

Nations and companies are still important, but they are no longer the only players. Every skilled, connected "individual" has the potential to become an independent, powerful, and significant player on the global chessboard. This, in Friedman's view, is the most exciting and disruptive aspect of Globalization 3.0.