Although I’ve read Alvin Toffler’s Powershift about 3 times already, I think I have to read it again and check which among his predictions and assumptions came true and are currently happening.  The last time I read this book was way back in 2001 at the height of the Quiz shows craze (The Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Game Ka Na Ba.  I have joined in all of these quiz shows) that hit the country.  A sociologist friend said that these quiz shows reflects the economic condition of the country and that the masses would turn to quiz shows to bring them out of poverty.  I added  that it is also a manifestation of one of Alvin Toffler’s assumption that TV entertainment of the future will be highly interactive wherein viewers want to be a part of the show and not just mere spectators.

In Powershift, Alvin Toffler discussed about how knowledge and technology became tools for building wealth and at the same time, instruments in wielding power.   In one of his examples; 50 years ago, it is the manufacturers who dictates to the supermarket which products will be sold and how much supermarket space will be allocated to which products because they are the ones who control information (via advertisements and their sales force).   All of these changed when the bar code system was introduced that enabled the retailers to gather information about the products being sold and the consumers who buy them.  It is the retailers who now control the knowledge of the market.  Now, it is the manufacturers who beg for supermarket space.   The invention of the barcode enabled a “powershift” from the manufacturers to the retailers.   (For a lengthier discourse on how this happened, read the book) 

A few years ago, I’ve read that  singers/artists or their managers are at the mercy of radio stations and have to pay them to promote their albums.    Power is in the hands of radiostations and/or tv stations.  With the advent of Youtube, artist can now upload their videos and promote themselves in the Internet for free.   Thereby, shifting power to the artists themselves.  A case in point is the Irish-Japanese artist, Marie Digby whose videos in Youtube are being viewed by millions of surfers around the world.   As of this writing, her rendition of Rihanna’s Umbrella has 4.2 million hits and still counting.  In her blog, she said that she posted her music videos in her own desperate move to counter the lack of promotion of her album.  Now,  her music can be heard by millions of people who doesn’t need to tune into radio to listen to her songs.   You can call that powershift. 

I am posting two of her videos that I really like, her rendition of Maroon 5’s Makes Me Wonder (who by the way are coming to Manila on March 5 and I will definitely watch it) and Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn(one of my all time favorites).  Now this has nothing to do with my conviction that its the Irish and not the Brazilians who are the most gorgeous race in the planet.