Global Voices Are Silenced: Opening the Door to True Belonging
- tarae44
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Global voices and the right to be heard
Global voices should have an equal opportunity to inspire, educate, and connect no matter where they begin. Yet many have been silenced not because they lack talent or imagination, but because the systems meant to make them visible, shaped by hegemony, privilege certain regions, languages, and cultures. The internet was supposed to connect us, but too often it echoes only a narrow and limiting part of the world.
Psychology has taught us that motivation is powered by recognition. When people perceive that their voice is heard, their creativity flourishes, but when they feel left out, they may be vulnerable to learned helplessness: the belief that effort does not matter (Seligman, 1972). But there is hope in the imbalance that the digital era offers tools that could ultimately rewrite that story.
Digital colonialism is the term that has been used to describe how large platforms export the cultural and economic values of the west and disproportionately benefit from global user data. But the technology that replicates old hierarchies can also be reimagined for equity.
Turning extraction into empowerment
Platforms could pass value around, instead of extracting it. What if the teacher in Lagos or the dancer in Manila could receive a reward directly from the people who value your work, without it being filtered through a cultural framework that dictates what should count. According to World Bank report (2023) creators in low-income countries earn below 10% of what North American creators get. This is not a given reality; it is a design decision.
And, according to neuroscience, novelty and recognition generate the key pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine and increase motivation (Berridge & Robinson, 2016). When global voices are uplifted equally, these platforms not only give power to people but unlock whole new cultures of creativity that have been waiting to be heard.
Ziloo is a product of that transition: from data extraction to person-first connection.
Unfairness of the platform and the fair monetization of the creator
Inequality of platform shines through most concretely in money. A lot of other creators don’t have access to monetization tools due to lack of bank support or fees that eat into their earnings. In countries that are subject to sanctions, such as Iran, or in areas where there is limited financial infrastructure, like in parts of Africa, creators are frequently left out of payment systems altogether.
Rethinking creator monetization
Creator monetization should be available to anyone who creates value, regardless of the country you live in. Crypto transactions, for instance, have proved how creators might circumvent rigid financial systems. For diaspora communities, it is a means to support creators in their country of origin, circumventing intermediaries and remittance service providers (UNCTAD, 2022).
Suppose the next great storyteller out of Nairobi or Lima could scale their voice without dependent on bank or advertiser approval. That future may be closer than we think, and Ziloo is one of the spaces thinking about how to bring it into being.
What if geography mattered no more?
Global voices are at their strongest when geography is not a hindrance. A musician in Dhaka should have as much of a shot at reaching listeners in Berlin as one in Los Angeles. A poet in Bogotá should be findable based on the beauty of their words, not because their area is favored by an algorithm.
From the perspective of social psychology, recognition can enhance self-esteem and in-group membership (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). When voices transcend borders, this isn’t just about a sense of confidence, it’s about a sense of connection. This sense of inclusivity radiates outward, forging more united communities and richer cultural exchanges.
We already see flashes of this happening with global cultural movements: K-pop breaking down barriers and topping charts around the world and Afrobeat re-shaping music culture in international terms. These are victories that are possible when the voices of the world are given space to echo.
Ziloo embodies that possibility: an algorithm-free, ad-free space where discovery is driven by curiosity, not code.
Crypto > Bank Transfers?
For many creators, cryptocurrency is not only trendy but also a lifeline. In regions where PayPal, Stripe or banks prevent people from being able to create, creators end up losing the services, and high transfers fees take millions out of what creators earn.
Crypto changes that. It allows directly peer-to-peer payments between borders. African artists use it to sell digital work, Iranian creators use it to work around sanctions and engage with the world beyond, even as Chinese audiences can still scroll through Manuel’s account, he has over 300,000 followers, if he makes his account public. Diaspora communities use it to support creators back home without pricey middlemen.
While the volatility endures, the principle is straightforward: payments should go where the creativity is, not the borders. Crypto promises a future where global voices are sustained freely an ideal that Ziloo agrees with.
Ziloo is built on a simple belief: your content is more than entertainment; it has real value.
Your Content, Your Currency.
Q & A
Why are global voices important online?
Global voices enrich culture, knowledge, and connection. When heard equally, they create a more inclusive and representative internet.
What is digital colonialism in social media?
Digital colonialism is when platforms export cultural and economic values of the West, limiting representation and monetization for other regions.
Can cryptocurrency empower creators globally?
Yes. Crypto enables peer-to-peer payments across borders, allowing creators in restricted regions to connect and earn without middlemen.
What makes Ziloo unique for creators worldwide?
Ziloo is ad-free and algorithm-free, designed for fairness, authentic discovery, and sustainable creator monetization across geographies. It is also suitable for everyone who values meaningful connection, not just professional creators.
Refrences
Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). Liking, wanting, and the incentive salience theory of motivation. American Psychologist, 71(8), 670–679. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000059
Seligman, M. E. P. (1972). Learned helplessness. Annual Review of Medicine, 23, 407–412. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.me.23.020172.002203
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Social_psychology_of_intergroup_rela.html?id=Q-TtAAAAMAAJ
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). (2022, June). All that glitters is not gold: The high cost of leaving cryptocurrencies unregulated (Policy Brief No. 100). UNCTAD. https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/presspb2022d8_en.pdf
World Bank. (2023, August). World Bank annual report 2023: A new era in development. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40219
ZipDo. (2024, March). Creator economy statistics. ZipDo. https://zipdo.co/creator-economy-statistics/
Refrences
Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). Liking, wanting, and the incentive salience theory of motivation. American Psychologist, 71(8), 670–679. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000059
Seligman, M. E. P. (1972). Learned helplessness. Annual Review of Medicine, 23, 407–412. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.me.23.020172.002203
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Social_psychology_of_intergroup_rela.html?id=Q-TtAAAAMAAJ
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). (2022, June). All that glitters is not gold: The high cost of leaving cryptocurrencies unregulated (Policy Brief No. 100). UNCTAD. https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/presspb2022d8_en.pdf
ZipDo. (2024, March). Creator economy statistics. ZipDo. https://zipdo.co/creator-economy-statistics/
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