Hypermodernism

Hypermodernism is a term used across philosophy, cultural theory, and the arts to describe a condition of society and culture characterized by an intensified modernity. It refers to a stage in which speed, technological change, globalization, and reflexive individualism shape everyday life. The label is not tied to a single manifesto or school, and its exact scope varies by discipline; in some usages it follows modernism and postmodernism, while in others it signals a distinct mood or regime of experience within late capitalism.

Core features commonly associated with hypermodernism include accelerated tempos of life, ubiquitous mediation and digital networks, and a heightened emphasis on efficiency, performance, and novelty. Global connectivity, consumer culture, and the juxtaposition of risk and opportunity shape both public life and private choice. The era is also described as paradoxically insecurity-prone and highly self-curatorial, with individuals constantly negotiating identity, aspiration, and authenticity amid rapid change.

In the arts and architecture, hypermodern tendencies push beyond late-modern principles through technologies, modular forms, and a concentration on immediacy, surface clarity, and functional aesthetics. In literature and media studies, the term is used to discuss works that foreground speed, simulation, and the saturation of images and information.

Critics argue that hypermodernism can be a nebulous or contested label, sometimes brushing against postmodern critiques of skepticism or branding late capitalism as a novelty. Proponents and commentators, notably Gilles Lipovetsky in cultural theory, view hypermodernism as a defining mood of contemporary life that shapes both culture and social organization.