As I walk through the neighborhood after work, I often notice a scene in American residential areas.

The living room windows are wide open, allowing passersby to see families sitting on the sofa watching television.

Sometimes, you can even see someone doing the dishes in the kitchen or families gathered around the dinner table.

When I first came to this country, I thought it was quite strange.

After all, I was taught and grew up believing that closing the curtains at night is a matter of etiquette.

However, over time, I realized that this is not just a personal habit but is connected to the structure of American society.

The first thing that catches the eye is the appearance of the houses themselves.

After World War II, as American suburbs expanded, single-family homes with large yards and space between neighbors became the standard.

During that time, the trend was to create what is known as a picture window, which is essentially a large glass wall on one side of the living room.

This design is intended to showcase the home rather than hide it.

I think this is fundamentally different from the apartment structures in Korea, where you live with just a wall separating you from your neighbor.

The second point, which may be a bit surprising, is the perception that leaving windows open actually makes the neighborhood safer.

Urban scholar Jane Jacobs argued in her 1961 book that the more windows facing the street, the more natural surveillance occurs, which reduces crime.

This concept of "eyes on the street" has long influenced the design of American neighborhoods and perceptions of safety.

If you close the curtains, the house and the street become blind spots where no one knows what is happening.

The third reason is, to be honest, a matter of wealth and confidence.

A 2013 survey by the U.S. Department of Energy found that households with an annual income of over $150,000 were twice as likely to live without covering their windows compared to those earning between $20,000 and $29,000.

I was a bit surprised when I first saw such data.

Recently, American media have even treated curtainless large glass windows as a new status symbol for the wealthy.

The larger the yard and the more security systems a house has, the less reason there is to cover it with fabric.

I also think the habits of the real estate market play a role here.

When putting a house on the market, real estate agents often advise homeowners to pull back the curtains and raise the blinds to make the house look bright and spacious.

This ingrained habit often continues even after moving.

The fourth reason is the advancement of technology.

Nowadays, many American homes come equipped with alarm systems, door cameras, and motion detectors as standard.

People tend to choose to feel secure with invisible security devices rather than physical barriers like curtains.

However, there are still certain spaces that people want to keep private.

In bedrooms or bathrooms, frosted glass or blinds are used to cover only as much as necessary.

Living rooms or kitchens, which are spaces for receiving guests, are left open, while private spaces are selectively covered, so it's not the case that everything is left wide open.

Interestingly, there is a similar culture in Europe.

The Netherlands is famous for its tradition of not covering windows at night, which is explained as a way to show community trust that there is nothing to hide.

In the case of America, I think it leans more towards confidence in personal property and security equipment rather than community trust.

While both cultures result in not closing curtains, the underlying reasons are quite different.

Personally, I don't fully understand this American openness.

It still feels a bit uncomfortable to think that others can see inside my home.

Nonetheless, I find it fascinating that there can be such different ways of protecting one's home and neighborhood.

Ultimately, even something as simple as a curtain reflects a country's housing history, beliefs about safety, and confidence in domestic life.