On Alvin Toffler

Reading class today provides a text about Future Shock that explains a general theory of Alvin Toffler, a socio-psychologist who coined the tight analysis on future living. When I looked its first sentence, I vigorously felt familiar with the words which are used to describe it. I was abruptly busy and believed to finish this part as well. I thought sociologically to relate this topic on how society will be faced up this unfavourable situation.

As on the textbook and a Toffler’s argument, the future shock is a super-condition of gradual change, regarding intended or unintended revolution structurally. He gave some examples to sketch out imaginably, such as a changing of industrial society to super-industrial society. He called this step as second industrial revolution, including their internal and external effects on every sides of human live.

The second industrial change forcibly gives too much change in a short time. Ten years ago, I could not imagine a smartphone with multitasking ability, I can do some activities, send an email, play a music, and so on at the same time. Moreover, the miles distance might be folded up by rapidity of advanced transportation in this century. The huge problem is how the society abides by their rational decision on acceleration of change. It might be same as a derision words “a left foot on primitive world, and a right foot on modern world”.

Subjectively or objectively, we can observe and figure out a reality in rural areas that shows deficiencies in disadvantaged living. The acceleration of knowledge and civilisation leaves them out, whilst inequality extends consecutively in this time. Thus, a culture shock is not only social disease of foreigners or new comers, but also the society who lives in their own home in advanced world that is unequal. The Future that was mentioned by Toffler is transpiring, and the quarters surprise!