by Áine Cain
We measure temperature using Farenheit. We're not about the metric system. We tip. We tend to do things a bit differently in the States. So, what sets US apart from the rest of the world when i
Americans are always on their phones, but rarely make calls
"In Europe, people prefer to talk over the phone to resolve issues, negotiate or coordinate," says Thanos Dimadis, a communications manager and journalist who was born in Athens and raised in Brussels. "When I was working as an editor-in-chief for one of the biggest TV networks in Athens and I was managing a team of journalists, most of my team preferred to give me a call instead of sending an email to keep me posted." Moving to New York to work at Second Nexus, he says that he found most Americans prefer to connect via text or email at work. "I actually prefer this, because I think it is a much more efficient way to communicate, but I could see how other foreigners might be surprised by this more impersonal communication style," Dimadis says. Katie Davies, VP of international solutions development at Radius, a firm that assists US companies looking to expand to new global markets, agrees. She's from the UK, and now lives in the US with her family. "People could be slightly offended if you're not paying attention in a meeting because you're distracted by your phone," she says.