I remember a world where these things didn't exist. That your alarm clock rang once a day. Heck, you needed to remember to arm the thing before you went to sleep. I suppose some folks rewound the clock and moved the alarm hand forward a few minutes. But most didn't. Ring, then up; no other methodology existed.
Now, we tend to gradually awaken. With smartphones and such, you can choose pleasant tones to gently rouse you from slumber. Speaking for myself, my alarm starts earlier, with a more gradual waking process.
I'm not sure what, if any, deeper effects have been brought about by this. Something to explore. It's hard to imagine that a significant shift in a culture's circadian rhythm won't have some larger impact.
