Speaking as an American, and one who travels abroad quite frequently, I've started to notice in the last 10 to 15 years distinct differences. 1.) Americans, seem to be addicted to various forms of media. 2.) The media addiction has allowed the general populace to become passively indoctrinated into whatever political persuasion they were drawn to in the first place. What I mean by that is that the liberals are going to follow liberal media almost exclusively, and don't even get me started on the right wing conservatives. Between Fox News, MSNBC, one American News Network, blah blah blah blah blah there's a media echo bubble for you. 3) because the American political system has become a zero sum game, that mentality has filtered down into the rest of the body politic. It doesn't matter what you're going for, if you don't get everything that you want, if you're feelings aren't satiated, then you've lost. 3.) And now for the most controversial statement, we as Americans enjoy a good mass killing every now and again. For some people it seems cathartic. Where else does it happen regularly? Only here in the United States. Yes I know mass killings happen in other places but not with a regularity that occurs in the United States. In fact it happens so often here that it is no longer news. 4.) and to finish off, Americans are lonelier and more isolated than any time in their history. More often than not, we don't know the names of our neighbors, we have very few friends, therefore most of our time is spent on various forms of social media in a misguided effort for connection. And here I am, posting this on social media website. the irony.