Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now (37 page)

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.

Abstractions, 138–39

acting now, 159–69f

Acxiom, 158

advertising, 28, 128, 167, 210, 245.

See also
commercials; marketing/market research

age/aging, 149–52

agriculture, 100–101, 185

Agriculture Department, U.S., 170

air travel, 89–90

Al Jazeera, 216

algorithms, 8, 178–79, 180, 181, 182, 183, 229, 257, 264

Alhurra (cable news channel), 216

Alpha-Omega framework, 262–64

“always-on,” 1–2, 73–74, 85, 94–95, 97–98, 186, 211

America: adolescence of, 45–46; futurism and character of, 12

American Dream, 12–13

An American Family
(documentary), 35

American Idol
(TV show), 37, 54, 213

American Psychiatric Association, 166

American Psychological Association, 38

animated TV shows, 23–24, 25–26

answering machines, 128

apocalypto: appropriate approach to, 264–66; bunkers for, 243–45; change and, 264–65; choices and, 256, 257–58, 260; conflation of apocalypse scenarios and, 246; definition/characteristics of, 2, 245, 261; digiphrenia and, 245; emergence of Armageddon concept and, 261–62; fear of the future and, 246; fractalnoia and, 245–46, 264; human limits and, 254–60; as manifestation of present shock, 7, 243–66; modern problems and, 246–47; narrative collapse and, 245; new “now” and, 3; overwinding and, 245, 261; transcending humanity and, 251–54; zombies and, 247–50, 264

See also specific topic

Apple Corporation, 13, 108, 111, 167–68, 182, 203, 218, 239

Arab Spring, 52, 55, 203, 216

Aristotle, 19, 23

arms race, 178–79

art works, overwinding and, 153–55

artistic visionaries, 231–32

Asia, clocks and timing in, 80

athletes.
See
sports

attention, competition for, 124, 265–66

attention deficit disorder, 124

audience: captive, 21, 31, 36; participation in creation of story by, 61, 63, 64, 65; sophistication of public, 45;

authenticity, 152–53; authority, 80–81, 84–85, 88, 225–26.;

See also
control

Axelrod, Robert, 193

Axial Age, 77, 83

Bachmann, Michele, 53

Baker, James, 47

balance, change and, 265

Barrett, Mark, 246

basketball, 41, 131–32, 134

Bateson, Gregory, 225, 228

BATS Global Market, 181–82

Baudrillard, Jean, 113

Baum, Frank, 165–66

The Beatles, 154, 168

Beavis and Butt-head
(TV show), 23–24

Becker, Ernest, 171

behavioral finance, 5–6, 174–75

Bell, Gordon, 239, 240–41

bell ringing, 80

Benedictine monks, 79

Benjamin, Walter, 153

Berlin, Isaiah, 232

Bernays, Edward, 45

Better Alternative Trading System (BATS), 181–82

Bible, 19

Big Bang, 263–64

biofeedback, 106

biological clocks, 89–93, 102

biology, apocalypto and, 255

biometric devices, 84

Birkenstock, 108

black box trading, 179, 180

Black Friday (shopping day), 159–61

blogs, 2, 52, 97–98, 114, 265

Bly, Robert, 39

Bohm, David, 103

Bonds, Barry, 41

box of chocolates analogy, 29–30

brain, 3–4, 5–6, 102–3, 204, 255

Brand, Stewart, 133–34, 135, 139, 141, 223

brands/branding, 64, 167, 209, 210, 212.

See also specific brand

bunkers, apocalypse, 243–45

Burnett, Erin, 55

burnout, 99, 121

Bush, George W., 48, 54

Bush, Vannevar, 4, 239

business/corporations: big data, 158–59; Black Friday and, 159–61; communication campaigns of, 51; digiphrenia and, 85–86, 99, 107–8, 128; fractalnoia and, 202, 205–17, 220, 222–23; futurism and, 16–17; Great Exhibition and, 164–65; hiring by, 156; in Industrial Age, 87, 161–65; money as time and, 172, 173; narrative collapse and, 66; new “now” and, 4; overwinding and, 7, 134, 159–66, 169, 170–80, 184, 191, 192, 245; stages in human development and, 82; time as money and, 170–80.

See also specific business/corporation

calendars, 78–79, 81, 83, 262, 264

call waiting, 115

caller ID, 115–16

Campbell, Joseph, 13, 20, 39

Canseco, José, 41

capitalism, 226, 258

captive audiences, 21, 31, 36

car accident, Rushkoff’s, 65–66

Carse, James, 59

Case, Amber, 69

cashless societies, 183–84

catallaxy, 226, 227, 228

cell phones, 95, 116

Chainmail (game), 60
n

change: apocalypto and, 264–65; as changing, 86–87; chronobiology and, 88–89; consumers and, 167; digiphrenia and, 73, 86–87, 88–89; fractalnoia and, 224, 235–37; management of, 86, 87, 235–36; narrative collapse and, 9–10, 14–16; new “now” and, 4; overwinding and, 141, 167; stages in human evolution and, 76; as steady state of existence, 87.

See also
growth; progress

chaos, 200, 202, 209, 219–30, 251, 261, 262–63

Chardin, Pierre Teilhard de, 254

chemtrails, 197–98, 201

children: digiphrenia and, 125; intelligence of, 125; kleptomania of, 166; TV shows for, 23–24

China, clocks and timing in, 80

choices: apocalypto and, 256, 257–58, 260; digiphrenia and, 110–12, 115–16, 119–20, 124; fractalnoia and, 202, 215, 227; new “now” and, 5; overwinding and, 145

chronobiology, 87–93, 101, 103–7, 133

chronos
time, 112–20, 235–36, 259

circadian rhythms, 89–93, 95, 106–7

Civilization (game), 62

Clinton, Hillary, 212–13

clocks: analog, 83, 113, 128–29; apocalypto and, 262; Benedictine, 79–80; biological, 89–93, 102; characteristics of universe associated with, 81–82; circadian rhythms and, 89–93, 95; clock towers and, 80–81, 82, 85; connectivity and, 112; digiphrenia and, 80–82, 85, 89–93, 95, 102, 112; kinds of time and, 112; of the “long now,” 134; as metaphor for human beings, 81, 82; stages in human development and, 79–82, 83, 84, 85, 95; as time, 259

CNN, 46–50, 54, 55, 250

codes, 84–85, 263

cognitive science, 3–4, 5–6, 102–3, 143, 204, 255

Colber, Jean-Baptiste, 173

Cold War, 89, 220–21, 223, 224, 226

collaboration.
See
cooperation/collaboration

colonialism, 162–64, 172, 173, 261

commercials, 20–21, 22, 36, 167, 213–14, 223.

See also
advertising

commodity trading, 185–86

communities, overwinding and, 183–84, 194

Community
(TV show), 27–28

computers: apocalypto and, 255, 259, 263; digiphrenia and, 1, 67, 84, 85, 98–99, 116, 122, 128; fractalnoia and, 208, 230–31, 238, 239–40; games on, 58–66; location of, 179–80; memory in, 140
n
; as metaphor for humans, 82–83; new “now” and, 4–5; overwinding and, 140
n
, 179–80; robo-answering, 128; Rushkoff’s first exposure to, 230–31; stress on, 140
n
.

See also
programmers

connectivity: advantages and disadvantages of, 206–7; apocalypto and, 252, 254, 261, 263, 266; clocks and, 112; consumers-producers and, 166–67; digiphrenia and, 96, 109, 111, 112, 113, 121, 125–26, 127; fractalnoia and, 7, 199, 203, 204–5, 214, 215, 217, 219, 220, 228, 230, 232, 236, 238, 240; games and, 61; humor and, 25; narrative collapse and, 21–22, 25, 34, 38–39; overwinding and, 195; and premature connections, 219; resilience and, 205–6; storytelling and, 21–22; too much, 228.

See also
feedback; patterns

conspiracy theories, 8, 198–99, 201, 264

consumers: acting now and, 159–69; behavioral finance and, 174–75; change and, 167; digiphrenia and, 94; disconnect between producers and, 166–67; fractalnoia and, 201, 211–12, 213–14; media and, 166; narrative collapse and, 64; overwinding and, 159–69, 170–71, 174–75, 185, 186, 192; ownership and, 168–69; self-image of, 211, 212; time as money and, 170–71, 174–75.

See also
Black Friday; marketing/market research

content: apocalypto and, 259; digiphrenia and, 96, 97, 115; fractalnoia and, 199, 202; humans as, 259; narrative collapse and, 22–23, 36–37; overwinding and, 141–42, 143, 153, 187, 193–94; reality television and, 36–37

context: apocalypto and, 260; digiphrenia and, 114; fractalnoia and, 200, 238, 240; new “now” and, 6; storytelling as creating, 13–14

contracts, 77–78, 161–62, 169, 184, 185

control, 82–83, 219, 223, 224–26, 262.

conversations, fractalnoia and, 211

cooperation/collaboration, 193–94, 203–5, 221, 222, 226–27, 263.

See also
share/sharing

copies, 71–72, 114

COPS
(TV show), 35

corporations.
See
business/corporations

crashes: in financial markets, 181, 230; flash, 181, 182

credit cards, 5, 161, 174, 175

credit default swaps, 178

crisis: chronobiological, 93; narrative collapse and mentality of, 55; real-time news and, 47, 48–49

Cronkite, Walter, 44

crowdsourcing, 213, 238–39

Crystal Palace, Great Exhibition (1851) in, 164–65

cubism, 155

culture: and compression of multitude of eras, 30; digiphrenia and, 72, 100; future-focused, 12; mashup and, 154–55; narrative collapse and, 12, 13, 30; new “now” and, 6; oral, 77; overwinding and, 141, 153–54; storytelling and, 12, 13; temporal diversity and, 133.

See also
popular culture

currencies.
See
money/currency

“cutscenes,” 27

cybernetics, 224–26, 227

Dachis Group, 86–87

The Daily What
(blog), 43

Dardik, Irving, 102, 104

Darfur is Dying (game), 63–64

Darwin, Charles, 118

data.
See
information

Davis, Wade, 248

Dawkins, Richard, 259

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), 198

Defense Department, U.S., 46–47

DeLillo, Don, 34

democracy, 13, 45, 50, 51, 53, 54

Democratic Party, 56

Denton, Nick, 97

department stores, 94, 165–66

derivatives market, 175, 178

digiphrenia: “always-on” philosophy and, 73–74, 85, 94–95, 97–98; apocalypto and, 245; benefits of, 73; cause of, 122; change and, 73, 86–87, 88–89; choices and, 110–12, 115–16, 119–20, 124; chronobiology and, 87–93, 101, 103–7; clocks and, 80–82, 85, 89–93, 95, 102, 112; connectivity and, 96, 109, 111, 112, 113, 121, 125–26, 127; coping with, 75–76; definition/characteristics of, 1, 75; disadvantages/challenges of, 67, 73; leading and, 93–109; as manifestation of present shock, 7, 69–129; multitasking and, 122–26; narrative collapse and, 73; pacing and, 74, 93–109; programs and, 84, 87, 93, 98, 101–2, 107; self and, 69–76; as stage in long progression, 76; stages in human development and, 82–87; storytelling and, 72–73, 85; sync and, 100–101, 106, 109, 121, 122, 126, 127, 128; time as a technology and, 76–87, 88–90.

See also specific topic

Disney theme parks, 186–88

DNA, 85, 258

Doctorow, Cory, 217

Domeier, Rick, 94

drone pilots, 7, 120–22

drugs, 92, 98, 99, 103, 124

Dulles, John Foster, 89

Dunbar, Kevin, 204

Duncan Yo-Yo, 108

Dungeons & Dragons (game), 60–61, 60
n

Dyson, Freeman, 133, 135, 141

Earth, first photographs of, 223–24

Eastern-Westerner comparison, Nisbett’s, 234–35

economy/economics: behavioral, 5–6; cashless societies and, 184; change and, 167; digiphrenia and, 97; expansion of, 170–80; fractalnoia and, 206, 226, 227, 228–29; global, 206; new “now” and, 3, 4, 5–6; overwinding and, 136, 145–49, 161, 163–65, 167–68, 171, 184–85; stages in human development and, 80; storage-based, 184; time and, 80.

See also
consumers; money/ currency

Edelman, Richard, 50

efficiency, 81, 82, 95, 188

Eisner, Michael, 186, 187, 188

elections of 2008, 18

Elliott, Ralph Nelson, 229

Elliott Wave, 229–30

email, 2, 69–70, 99, 117–18, 119–20, 143–45, 264

emergence concept, 227, 262, 263

empathy, 236, 237

end/endings: apocalypto and, 7, 247, 250, 252, 253–54, 261, 262; fractalnoia and, 199; games and, 59, 61–62, 67; hardest part of living in present shock and, 247; narrative collapse and, 34, 56, 59, 61–62, 66, 67; new “now” and, 4; of time, 250, 252, 253–54, 262; traditional storytelling and, 62

Energy Department, U.S., 54

energy, renewable, 189–91

entertainment, 21.

See also type of entertainment

environment, 8, 13, 50, 115, 134, 135, 189, 194, 246

Epic Failure (YouTube), 43

escapement technology, 79

ethics, 12, 60, 70.

See also
morality; values

etsy.com, 117–18

eureka moments, 116

everything is everything concept, 197, 199, 204, 205, 210, 212, 213, 228

Facebook: apocalypto and, 257; digiphrenia and, 72, 74–75, 85, 95–96, 126; fractalnoia and, 211, 239; narrative collapse and, 47; overwinding and, 142, 149, 155, 156, 157–58, 182; real-time news and, 47

fairness, 120–21, 226

fakery, 234

Family Guy
(TV show), 26–27, 28

Farmville (game), 63

“fast learners,” 125

favor banks, 183–84

Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. (FAA), 89

Federal Reserve, 5, 148

feedback: apocalypto and, 263; definition of, 207; fractalnoia and, 205–19, 220, 221, 222, 224–25, 226–27, 236; speed of, 208, 209

Feldmar, Andrew, 156

Ferriss, Timothy, 95

field hospitals, 191

Filippi, Mark, 103–6

“filter failure,” 116–17

financial markets: algorithmic-driven, 178–79, 180; apocalypto and, 8, 257, 264; black box trading and, 179, 180; commodity trading and, 185–86; crashes in, 181, 230; dark pools for, 182; digiphrenia and, 1, 99–100; fractalnoia and, 201–2, 203, 226–27, 229–30; free, 226, 227; high-frequency trading in, 181–82; “invisible hand” of, 226–27; “meet me” room for, 180; narrative collapse and, 11–12; new “now” and, 5; overwinding and, 7, 8, 136, 173, 175–80, 181–83, 184, 185–86; physicial location of network and, 179–80; time as money and, 173, 175–80