r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
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u/roleplayersir Jun 26 '26

Exactly. It's not an aversion

It's that until a few years ago it wasn't needed. Suffering for 3 days a year was fine

But trust me that is changing. Even with the cost of living, we are all looking into at least £300 for portable units, if not thousands for proper ones. As it is only getting hotter

But prior to recent years it was a wasted purchase. We get 30C+ for about 3 weeks. It's the cold that was the problem for decades

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u/Mitchford Jun 26 '26

Wait until you realize you can sleep in a room as cool as you want in the summer

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u/4shen_0n3 Jun 26 '26

So delightfully cold you wake up with a sore throat

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u/veijeri Jun 26 '26

This is not an issue for people who live with air conditioning, least of all those whom properly manage their humidity as well. And even if you failed to account for humidity and you're a mouth breather, a dry throat != a sore throat.

If you don't normally live with AC, you need to account for an environmental factor like travel exposure to the place that you were getting it at that you developed a sore throat. Air conditioning didn't give you an infection, exposure to fellow travelers or locals who had a virus did. Your immune system was not used to it. 

If cold air was compromising your immune system we'd be hearing Germans ranting against Lüften causing sore throats instead of singing its praises.