Future Shock is a 1970 book by American futurist Alvin Toffler,[1] written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell,[2][3] in

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Future Shock is a 1970 book by American futurist Alvin Toffler,[1] written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell,[2][3] in which the authors define the term "future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. The shortest definition for the term in the book is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of time". The book, which became an international bestseller, has sold over 6 million copies and has been widely translated.

The book grew out of an article "The Future as a Way of Life" in Horizon magazine, Summer 1965 issue.[4][5][6][7]

Alvin Toffler argued that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a "super-industrial society". This change overwhelms people. He argues that the accelerated rate of technological and social change leaves people disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation"—future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems are symptoms of future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock he popularized the term "information overload."

This analysis of the phenomenon of information overload is continued in later publications, especially The Third Wave and Powershift.