ABSTRACT

A number of scientists assert that Western populations both race along and dissolve with the world (see, e.g., Reheis, 1998). “Acceleration” is the prevalent keyword to characterize the current social composition. Buying, hearing, or seeing something immediately, being at another place, knowing about other people and other things, and being informed about and talking to others are no longer difficult from either a technical, social, or cultural point of view. Time is no longer an issue. Immediately does not only mean that people get—or could get—what they want at once, but also implies that oblivion is immediate as well. Restated, almost everything can easily be discarded and replaced in order to redirect attention to other achievable wishes. Innovation is the new buzzword: Everything becomes outdated the moment it is consumed. Product life cycles constantly shorten.