Why your head is spinning: 69% of UK adults feel like change happens faster now than in the past

If you feel like you can't keep up with the pace of change, then you're not alone. 69% of UK adults feel like change happens faster now than 20 years ago, rising to 75% of those over 55. The survey of 2,171 UK adults was conducted by YouGov for the launch of applied futurist Tom Cheesewright's new book, High Frequency Change, which attempts to explain this phenomenon.

The idea that change happens faster now than in the past has been popular for over a decade, as the pace of technological change appears to increase. It feeds the belief that we are approaching a technological 'singularity' where machines begin to advance beyond human control. But historians frequently reject the idea of accelerating change, pointing to previous periods of dramatic change, through the industrial revolution, the shift from horse to car, and the advent of domestic automation.

In High Frequency Change, Tom Cheesewright aims to settle the argument, suggesting that change is too complex to be described as either 'fast' or 'slow'. He suggests a better heuristic, thinking of change in the form of waves with both amplitude and frequency. The connected computing revolution is another low frequency wave with high amplitude (impact) and long wavelength (duration), just like previous technological revolutions. But it has enabled high frequency changes, which have a lower overall impact but rise and fall incredibly quickly.

"Neither people nor organisations are prepared for high frequency change. We don't have the tools to deal with it, so it is incredibly disruptive to our ability to plan and operate," said Cheesewright. "We need a new way of thinking about business, and our own careers, if we want to build sustainable success in this age of high frequency change."

High Frequency Change is available today in stores and online. If you would like to read a sample chapter of the book, you can download it from https://tomcheesewright.com/highfrequencychange .

For more information or for media review copies of the book, please contact Natasha Tsakiris at LID Publishing at natasha.tsakiris@lidbusinessmedia.com or on +44 (0)20 7183 1488.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2171 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th March - 1st April 2019. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

The full data of the survey is available on request.

About Tom Cheesewright
Tom Cheesewright is one of the most respected consultants and commentators on tomorrow’s world. As an Applied Futurist, Tom helps people and organisations around the world to see what’s next and to build a coherent response.

Tom consults with clients looking for greater foresight into the near future, and teaches and licences a range of tools for building more agile organisations. He is a frequent speaker on the future across a range of industries. Customers include global corporations such as Bacardi, BASF, BP, and HSBC, as well as universities, charities and public bodies.

Tom is a frequent presence on TV and radio, explaining today’s world of high frequency change and the technology that drives it thousands of times over the last decade across the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky News as well as in many print and online publications including The Guardian, The Times, and The Evening Standard.

More information at https://tomcheesewright.com