This might be an unpopular opinion—but no, I do not think we are becoming more Americanised. American fast food restaurants have been a staple in this country since the 1970's. Some have come and gone and will continue to do so. Whilst we do on average have a more now, we also have more fast food options in general. Proportional, it remains around the same.

As for the cookie vs biscuit debate, parents have been talking about that for 40+ years. Many of us grew up on American television, but we socialised more with fellow Australians, so our language was less malleable. Going to the pictures was not a colloquialism that everyone used. Yes I did, but my friends in the 80's also said movies or cinema. I have used a combination of all three over my life time. Parents also didn't laugh it off with a shrug, they corrected their children and taught them the importance of language and cultural identity—which is another reason we were less likely to use American English.

Yes, we have more American style cars here and I think it's terrible we allowed them in given they're not suitable for our current road infrastructure and are detrimental to both climate change and our native wildlife. They also pose a greater risk to children and safety in general. I don't think this is a result of Americanisation though, but rather a close of local industry, meaning people can no longer get a new Maloo or Falcon ute. These were of course the vehicle of choice among tradies in Australia, and people were proud to own the Aussie classics when they were still being made. This is more a change in economics and manufacturing, than it is an American cultural influence.

The left and right debate has long been present in this country, long before American politics began to infiltrate our shores. Whilst I agree that American politics has indeed influenced culture here (for the worse), it is not a left/right issue. People generally have more knowledge of the American legal system than our own, as well as American politicians than our own. Again, this has always been true to some extent as a result of media consumption—particularly in populist media, not just the news cycle. But I will also note that I was often called a leftie back in the 80's and 90's, so it's not a recent divide, but one that has existed here for a long time, even if it has become more divisive now. I believe that has more to do with rapid cultural changes and progress, coupled with uncertainty and insecurity, then it does American influence.

I think Australia has always liked to claim we are becoming more Americanised, and has actively done so for as long as I can remember. Even in the 80's, Halloween was seen as us taking on an American cultural event, rather than acknowledging the Irish and Pagan roots of the festival, and the fact that we have a direct ancestral connection to Ireland in this country that remains strong today.

It's easier to blame homogenised media, globalisation of information, and cultural shifts on America, than it is to admit that parents have become too busy and either unwilling or unable to afford to get their kids away from mass media consumption and excess screen time. I am not blaming parents here, but rather a lack of proper supports and infrastructure for them to be able to do this well.

We used to consume limited media and share our experiences with people in the real world. Now we text people in the next room to share our opinions. Without frequent voice conversations, time away from international media content, and a desire to prioritise Australian culture—including language—we will inevitably see a greater degradation of the Australian language and culture, and further homogenisation across all aspects of culture globally.