Final answer:
Thomas L. Friedman uses the metaphor "the world is flat" to describe the leveling of the global economic playing field due to advances in technology that make international collaboration and competition more accessible. In this context, geographic and economic barriers are significantly reduced, although this does not mean equality for all regions or individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Thomas L. Friedman says "the world is flat," he is referring to the global economic playing field being leveled. In his book "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," Friedman explains how technological advancements have reduced the economic and geographical barriers, allowing countries such as China and India to become part of the global supply chain for services and manufacturing. This creates a more competitive environment for workers and businesses but also offers them more opportunities.
Friedman's flat world isn't physically flat, but metaphorically so, because technologies like personal computing and high-speed Internet have enabled work to be done faster and more efficiently, anywhere and everywhere. This flatness means that an entrepreneur in the United States can run a business that utilizes a call center in Bangalore seamlessly, as if there were no oceans or boundaries separating them. However, this flatness does not imply equality, as technological and economic disparities continue to create 'peaks and valleys,' with innovation and wealth often concentrated in specific geographic areas.
Friedman also emphasizes the importance for countries, especially developed ones such as the United States, to adapt and prepare their workforces for the changing economic landscape. Otherwise, they risk losing their competitive edge in the global marketplace.