Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler wrote Future Shock, where he introduced the idea that too much rapid change could leave people feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and disconnected. He called it “future shock” — and honestly, reading it today feels almost eerie with how accurate he was.

Toffler believed we were moving from an industrial society to a “super-industrial” one, where everything would change faster than people could handle. The book was a huge hit at the time, selling over six million copies, but what’s crazy is how much of what he talked about feels even more true in 2025. Some examples:

  • Disposable culture: He predicted throwaway products, and now we have single-use plastics, fast fashion, and gadgets that feel obsolete within a year.

  • Tech burnout: Toffler said technology would become outdated faster and faster. Today, if you don’t upgrade your phone or update your software, you feel left behind.

  • Rent instead of own: Services like Airbnb and Uber fit his prediction that we’d move away from owning things and toward renting everything.

  • Job instability: He nailed the rise of the gig economy, freelancing, and how fast-changing industries make it hard to stay trained up and secure.

  • Transient relationships: He warned about shallow, fleeting social connections — something social media, dating apps, and global mobility have absolutely amplified.

  • Information overload: This term literally came from Future Shock, and if you’ve ever felt exhausted just from scrolling through your feeds or reading the news, you know exactly what he meant.

Toffler also talked about the “death of permanence” — not just products, but relationships, jobs, even identities becoming temporary and interchangeable. He warned it would cause “shattering stress and disorientation.” Looking around at the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout today, it’s hard not to see what he meant.

I think about this book a lot when I read about some of the sick things happening today. Is this a warped perspective?

  • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    13·
    9 hours ago

    Idk if anything technological change has massively stagnated because exploitation of workers is far cheaper than reducing costs through innovation.

    Disposable culture: He predicted throwaway products, and now we have single-use plastics, fast fashion, and gadgets that feel obsolete within a year.

    Tech burnout: Toffler said technology would become outdated faster and faster. Today, if you don’t upgrade your phone or update your software, you feel left behind.

    Compare the leap between iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4 and iPhone X to whatever the newest one is.

    My phone is a Pixel 4a and the only noticeable difference between it and the latest pixel is that this one has a headphone jack and the others don’t and they look like shit and have a worse selfie cam lol.

    There used to be a time where upgrading your GPU every year would get you better bang for your buck long-term because improvements were so rapid. Now your 1070Ti can still run most games fairly well and with something like a 3090 you can last another 5 years easily, while the PS5 is barely any different to the PS4.

    • Information overload: This term literally came from Future Shock, and if you’ve ever felt exhausted just from scrolling through your feeds or reading the news, you know exactly what he meant.

    I don’t get this one at all. I don’t feel exhausted whatsoever, information is actually stimulating. Of course if you only scroll the news you’ll feel depressed because we live in a dystopia, but that’s not information overload, it’s just sad. On the other hand if simply reading anything makes you overwhelmed that just seems like a lack of reading stamina so you can just not do that, or develop that stamina.

    Transient relationships: He warned about shallow, fleeting social connections — something social media, dating apps, and global mobility have absolutely amplified.

    I don’t think this is a bad thing.

    Rent instead of own: Services like Airbnb and Uber fit his prediction that we’d move away from owning things and toward renting everything.

    Job instability: He nailed the rise of the gig economy, freelancing, and how fast-changing industries make it hard to stay trained up and secure.

    This is all basic capitalism and it’s consequences.

    EDIT: not sure what I said that was so controversial as to being deserving of downvotes.

    • yarr@feddit.nlOPEnglish
      2·
      6 hours ago

      EDIT: not sure what I said that was so controversial as to being deserving of downvotes.

      I try to never just slam that button instead of replying, because then we all lose out on learning a bit more. When I read your comment, especially the bit:

      Of course if you only scroll the news you’ll feel depressed because we live in a dystopia, but that’s not information overload, it’s just sad. On the other hand if simply reading anything makes you overwhelmed that just seems like a lack of reading stamina so you can just not do that, or develop that stamina.

      That feels a lot like telling someone depressed: “Hey idiot, ever thought of just not being sad?” I think the really tragic point is there are some people extremely addicted to doom-scrolling, despite feeling awfully sad about it. Classical addiction.

      And then, some other gems, like:

      Transient relationships: He warned about shallow, fleeting social connections — something social media, dating apps, and global mobility have absolutely amplified. I don’t think this is a bad thing.

      This feels profoundly against human nature. We seem predisposed, almost since birth, to try to form deep, lasting relationships with other people. You might feel this way but I’m not sure it’s a typical state.

      Job instability: He nailed the rise of the gig economy, freelancing, and how fast-changing industries make it hard to stay trained up and secure.

      This is all basic capitalism and it’s consequences.

      But it’s not though… capitalism is hundreds of years old, yet the gig economy is not. If it’s just “basic capitalism” wouldn’t we have expected to see “ye Olde Ubere” workers in 1560?