The Alarm Clock
An artifact in the American Studies Museum
The American writer William Faulkner once wrote, “time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.” These clock wheels, whether analog or digital, run the way we live our lives—even in our sleep. The alarm clock is a dense fact representing our dependence on time and how we structure our lives around it.
A related artifact, the clock, has been prevalent for much longer. As our dependence on time increased, our need for structuring that time followed—especially in the morning to be punctual for work and school. Unlike other cultures, we are driven by time; the “can do” attitude of America implies time in the “do”-ing. The alarm clock is a mechanical device that replaces the traditional symbol of the rooster on the farm, complete with atomic accuracy for starting the day precisely whenever we desire, regardless of whether our bodies feel ready.
These devices come in two main categories with many derivatives—analog or digital. The analog alarm clock features a face clock with a bell on the top, while the digital has luminous numbers displaying the exact time with a period after the time, an afterthought, showing the alarm is set. Alarm clock styles differ considerably—simple to ornate, tasteful to gaudy, nightstand radio clock to a business traveler’s sleek and portable alarm, masculine to feminine and adult to children—all which cater to the American ideal of choice. Alarm clocks appeal to most of the population (by necessity, not choice), so there is a unique design for everyone’s individual alarm clock, as opposed to a community alarm, like the bugle. Additionally, other popular products have an alarm clock feature, such as radios, cell phones and watches. Along with the individualized design, the essential features attract buyers.
We live in a culture governed by time, which is too precious to waste—after all, “time is money.” With the chaos of time in American culture, alarm clocks appear to make waking up no hassle. To ensure this, alarm clocks feature battery backup (in the off chance of a power failure), automatic daylight savings detection and the ability to change or automatically detect time zones. Yet with these features to ensure we wake up at the right time, we feel great anxiety when they set the alarm wrong; the clock is only as smart as the person who sets it.
Assuming it is set correctly, not only can we choose when to get up, but we can also choose how we get up. A person has the choice over a plethora of noises to disrupt his or her sleep. One can wake up immediately with the classic, vexing buzzer. If that’s not enough, some buzzers are so loud that they approach the human threshold of pain. There are many “progressive” options too, such as waking up (or even sleeping) to nature sounds—bringing the sounds of dawn into the comfort of your own home. Others choose to wake up to their favorite radio station or news report. If neither the alarms nor progressive-styles work, some alarm clocks feature flashing lights, bed-shakers and toe-wigglers. If one clock is not enough, two or more are commonly used, and some clocks even sport “his” and “hers” settings—conforming to the traditional American family.
Even if the person wakes up from the alarm, he or she may choose to ‘snooze’ longer. Users consciously set when they ought to get up the night before, but once they wake up groggy from their premature, sleep-cycle-disrupted wake-up, they have the option to ‘snooze’ for minutes to make them feel like they’re once again in control of their sleep—well, until the alarm goes off again. This cycle amplifies the image of the sleep-deprived, coffee-filled nation. Thus, the alarm-and-snooze-cycle creates guise of the person having control while still strictly relying on the alarm clock.