US Consumer Economy
The United States is the world's largest national economy. The U.S. national wealth was estimated to be $19 trillion in 2018. Americans have the highest average household income in the world. IOn average, Americans spend more money on consumer goods (like cell phones) than anyone else in the world.
Americans and Cell Phones
Typically, historians who study "social history" would be analyzing the effects of social groups based on race, gender, or class as well as how different social groups interact with each other in history. But for cell phones, neuroscientists (people who study the human brain) and engineers analyze how the effects of cell phones influence basic social interaction (interaction between one and another) and how cell phone usage affects the development of the human brain. While its easy to say that cell phones combined with the Internet and social media apps like Instagram make us more connected, at the same time, society is changing with cell phones as people become less interactive with each other face to face. And now Americans are experiencing the real-world consequences of being so engaged with screens over people. As you analyze the images and videos, consider how do the effects of cell phones impact social interaction and human health.