Today everything is temporary. We have temporary jobs, temporary relationships and marriages, temporary housing, and so on. We even have a temporary Pope! Of course nothing is forever, we know every human life will end and the universe too. But till about 10 years ago, there were many things eternal during a human's life. Like working for the same company till your retirement, or marrying that special someone to spend the rest of your life with. You bought a house together and watched your children grow up in it. After, you grew old together in the same house. Romantic as this may sound, today we can't take that for granted.
Today we have a so-called 'zap- culture', which is everywhere. Even the Pope (who I see as very traditional) decided to zap. We're all zapping from one job to another. We're zapping from one relationship in another. Everybody's zapping, scrolling and searching through everything. Searching for that one and favorite song, Mr. or Mrs. Right or that dream job that gives you the gratification you always wanted.
Until recently zapping used to be a choice. But now with the economic crisis in Europe and the USA it became an obligation. You don't get that steady job anymore if you want to, but a temporary contract. You have to do everything on a project base, which makes you think project based too, in almost everything you do. It can be noticed if you look at the quality of products we buy nowadays. The washing machines that would go 10 to 20 years are something from the past. Today they're much cheaper, but last only 5 years. If you buy a tablet now, in two years it won't be compatible with all the apps you have now.
The whole market is not focused on sustainable products. Instead of upgrading or fixing, people is forced to buy! This idea originates from the time before our current crisis. The time when you just had to consume like crazy. This is the reason why the crisis started in the first place. It's the result of what happens when people buy everything, while they can't afford anything. It's the result of thinking big, thinking in growth without realizing: "hey, the economy can shrink too or just stay like it is".
Now the rollercoaster of the cyclical is going dooooooown! And what do we notice? People are fed up with the zap culture, they're longing for stability. Something that's very rare on the employment market right now. So what do we do? Trying to keep the same equipment as long as possible. Save money, while we should've done that earlier. But it's fighting a losing battle, because now our system forces us to zap like a puppet. How many people are freelancing nowadays, against their own will, because otherwise they don't have an income? I'm talking about people who are not fit for managing their own business, who just want a 9 to 5 job with a good pension.
How many times do you have to change your health insurance to a cheaper one or your energy supplier? Zapping used to be fun for a while, like something temporary. It's something you do when you're in your twenties and searching for what you want in life. But when you're past 30 you don't want that anymore. You want to start (or have started) a family and more stability in life. But even that's not logical anymore.
Even in their love lives people have a zap mentality now. Just having fun together isn't sufficient to start a relationship. There has to be that mutual spark. A phenomenon that's also very rare for most singles. If you happen to be the lucky ones who found true love, then you can't give your kids the stability you had when you grew up. Because both of you don't have a job for the rest of your lives and you're not sure whether you are able to pay your mortgage in the future. But at least you have each other and the love you can give to your children, that's something no system can take away from you. Another trend we see is that people help each other more than before the crisis. Because we're doomed to zap, friends and family are the aspects of life we cherish. Lots of friends are here to stay for the rest of a lifetime. People are more aware of the zap culture, so they focus on sustainability and green choices as well, when it comes to buying products. Green and ecofriendly products and lifestyles are today's hippest trends in Western countries. So there is a thin silver lining behind this cloud…
How long will it take before this zap culture is gone, now most people long for stability? Or is it here to stay, unlike most fashion trends? Generations growing up today, grow up with the zap culture. So they get accustomed to it. I guess generation X and Y struggle the most with it, because they grew up during the 70's, 80's and 90's, when zapping was something weird or at least still a choice. But with the awareness that takes place in people's head, it might as well turn the other way around. Scientists state that we've entered a new era after December 21st 2012, that's actually what the Mayas meant.
Now that we've noticed it's not the end of the world, there might be a shift of mentality in the global population. A change of world powers maybe, where stable populations have to zap and zapping populations become stable? Time will tell, in the meanwhile we keep on channel surfing without a purpose, just because we have to!
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By Vanessa Vijzelman
Vanessa has a master's degree in Communications. She's specialized in new media technologies and social media. She worked in journalism (e.g. Amigoe Newspaper, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and other Dutch broadcasting companies) and later in PR & Communications. Vanessa has both Surinamese and Antillean roots and her whole family is a mixture of different cultures, just like her circle of friends. This makes her a real cosmopolitan with a diverse taste in music and fashion. She loves to see the world from different perspectives. Read more.
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