The Terrible Twenties? The Assholocene? What to Call Our Chaotic Era

Kyle Chayka considers different possible labels for “our chaotic historical moment, a term that we can use when we want to evoke the panicky incoherence of our lives of late.” Contenders include artist and author James Biddle’s “New Dark Age,” which emphasizes the dangers and disappointments of the internet era; social strategist Liz Lenkinski’s “Age of Unhingement,” which highlights our inability to know what is coming next; and Adam Tooze’s use of the term “polycrisis” to capture our “endless frantic race to keep up with the pace of change.”