Compared to the cross-cultural interactions of earlier times, what was different about those of the third-wave era?

As opposed to the hierarchical structure of societies in the agricultural and industrial ages, the use of technology has leveled the playing field in the information age, making information, sharing of information, and the access to the resources to sustain it, truly global in its scope. Access to information is no longer in the hands of a few and is not, therefore, being used to subdue to stratify society.