2.2 Smartphones as a cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology,
ethnology, and sociology, for any object created by humans that gives cultural clues or
information about the group who created and uses it. The artifact may change over
time in terms of how it is seen and used. Based on the landline telephone, the cell phone
has become a very useful object and modern cultural artifact with many purposes. As a
cultural artifact, it has come to enhance and replace some traditional forms of
communication in popular culture.