or color commentary. Her world is about being digitally connected literally 24/7 responding immediately to every email, text or update that chimes, buzzes, pop-ups or lands on her phone or laptop which are often on simultaneously.
It seems that it's about living or maybe more appropriately, "consuming" for the moment. The digital age and rise of social media on its heels have provided us the wonder, fun, power and pleasure of all sharing in the moment... all good. But beyond potentially being all consuming Presentism has its potential adverse affects.
Douglas Rushkoff, author of the book, "Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now" takes a critical and thought provoking look on how Presentism is not just impacting personal interactions, but entertainment and brand communications, and even how the ages old art of storytelling has become a casualty because, well, we're too consumed with living in the now and responding to it. Beyond storytelling Rushkoff also addresses what Presentism means to our ability to give much thought about the future.
We often joke among ourselves about "wanting it now", however his book sets out to show how it may not be such a laughing matter when it comes to planning our own personal future (think saving for retirement versus consuming now), attempt to grow a publicly held company beholden to the quarterly profit expectations of stock holders or even a marketer trying to build a brand for the long run when everything is so short-termism and leading to states of confusion like Digiphrenia and Fractalnoia.
For all of us in this time of Presentism, Rushkoff's book gives us plenty to think about, take real pause and give some serious thought to its future implications - good and otherwise.
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