Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
"Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler is a seminal work that explores the profound transformations occurring in society as it transitions from agricultural and industrial systems to a new "superindustrial" era characterized by rapid technological advancement and change. Toffler argues that this shift leads to a state of "future shock," a condition where individuals struggle to adapt to the overwhelming pace of life and the constant flux in social norms, personal relationships, and job stability. The book is structured into six parts, where Toffler delves into themes such as the transience of possessions and social structures, the impact of novelty in daily experiences, and the diversity of choices faced by individuals in modern society.
Toffler emphasizes that the consequences of such rapid change can be detrimental to mental and physical health, suggesting that many may experience a debilitating state akin to culture shock without the possibility of returning to a familiar past. In response, he proposes various strategies for coping with and mitigating these challenges, urging individuals and institutions to anticipate future developments and support one another in navigating the complexities of a changing world.
The book has had a lasting influence on the field of futurism and has been recognized with several awards, further cementing Toffler's reputation as a leading thinker on the implications of societal change. Despite its length, "Future Shock" remains accessible, allowing readers to engage with its concepts individually or in segments, making it a relevant resource for discussions on contemporary social issues.
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Subject Terms
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
First published: 1970
Subjects: Science and social issues
Type of work: Social science
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Form and Content
Based on extensive research and years of preparation, Alvin Toffler’s massive Future Shock argues that the world is undergoing a fundamental transformation from agricultural and industrial societies to a new, “superindustrial” society driven by high technology, service industries, and rapid change in all areas of life, with potentially ruinous effects on its citizens. Toffler conveys his information and conclusions in an accessible writing style for general readers, while lengthy notes and a bibliography at the end of the book identify his numerous sources and list resources for further research. The book is carefully organized, with a short introduction preceding twenty chapters grouped into six parts; each chapter is further divided into sections, all listed in the table of contents. A typical section will begin with an interesting anecdote; then provide some general observations, results of scientific research, or statistics; briefly quote one or more experts in the field; and offer a few speculations about future developments before moving on to the next subject.
According to the three chapters of part 1, “The Death of Permanence,” earlier human societies were characterized by a sense of stability in all aspects of life, including place of residence, work, family, and social norms. Such permanence is now impossible in a technologically advanced society of ever-increasing and ever-accelerating change. Modern human life will instead be distinguished by three characteristics, separately discussed in parts 2, 3, and 4: “Transience”—people will constantly change their possessions, homes, social lives, jobs, and personal interests; “Novelty”—people will regularly be confronted by new and unfamiliar technologies, types of experiences, and family structures; and “Diversity”—people will face a bewildering variety of choices in their purchasing decisions, social groups, and lifestyles. Each aspect of these characteristics is discussed in a separate chapter. In the two chapters of part 5, “The Limits of Adaptability,” Toffler points out that overstimulation and radical changes in life, according to clinical studies, can inflict physical and mental damage on individuals, and he argues that protean modern society may increasingly induce a debilitating physiological and psychological condition he calls “future shock.” This reaction is related to the “culture shock” of moving into a new culture but is more severe, as its victims will lack the option of moving back into their old, familiar culture. If left unacknowledged and untreated, this condition might even lead to widespread nervous breakdowns and dysfunctional behavior in a “future-shocked society.” Accordingly, in the four chapters of part 6, “Strategies for Survival,” Toffler outlines the ways in which governments and private organizations might respond to this imminent threat: developing or improving counseling and support programs for troubled individuals, restructuring education to emphasize an oientation to the future, anticipating the effects of new technology and possibly intervening to slow or stop its introduction, and bringing together all members of society to think about, discuss, and decide on their future goals.
Critical Context
The publication and remarkable popularity of Future Shock was a significant event in its time. The public gained a new awareness of “futurism”—the discipline that systematically and scientifically studies the future—and Toffler earned a reputation as a major “futurist.” Future Shock received the McKinsey Foundation Book Award in 1970 and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger from France in 1972, was repeatedly cited in popular and scientific articles, and even inspired fictional responses, such as John Brunner’s The Shock Wave Rider (1975). Toffler frequently appeared on television and later met with such world leaders as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The ideas in Future Shock have had a discernable impact on modern society, making the book not only valuable but historically important as well. A bibliography of forty-five books on “future studies” in Toffler’s The Third Wave, all but seven published after Future Shock, provides one measure of the book’s broad influence.
While Toffler wrote several other books, the most important of these were the direct successors to Future Shock: The Third Wave and Powershift (1990). Introducing the latter volume, he describes these books as his “trilogy”: Future Shock focusing on the “process” of change, The Third Wave anticipating its outcomes or “direction,” and Powershift analyzing the “control” of change. While very readable, Future Shock is a long book—five hundred pages in paperback—so it has rarely served as a classroom text. Yet, because Toffler organized the book as a series of brief discussions of discrete topics in separate sections, many parts of Future Shock can be excerpted and read separately. Selections have often appeared in anthologies of readings for high school and college composition classes, and portions of the book might contribute to class discussions of current social problems. A 1972 documentary based on the book, made with Toffler’s participation and available on videotape, has also been employed in the classroom.