Future Shock

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Image:Future shock.png Future Shock is a controversial book written by the sociologist and futurologist Alvin Toffler in 1970. It has sold over 6 million copies and has been widely translated.

Future shock is also a term for certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies, introduced by Toffler in his book of the same name. Toffler's shortest definition of future shock is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of time." The concept of future shock bears resemblance to the early 21st century concept of "The Technological singularity".

Toffler argues that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a "super-industrial society". This change will overwhelm people, the accelerated rate of technological and social change will leave them disconnected, suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation" - future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems were symptoms of the future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock, he also coined the term "information overload."

His analysis of that phenomenon is continued in his later publications, especially The Third Wave and Powershift.

This book has been reprinted several times, ISBNs include: