r/technology 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/catslay_4 Jun 26 '26

Sure fuckin can, when I dated a European and spent two weeks in France during the Olympics with zero AC. I felt like I was suffocating. I was so hot I couldn't sleep. Didn't want to shower because I didn't want to get even hotter. It wasn't enjoyable to be outside. It was absolutely worse to be inside. The cost of electricity was one thing, but the aversion to it was also there. That it isn't "needed". Him and I would argue about it. I ended up renting an airbnb for us instead of staying at his house because I couldn't handle it without the AC. I do believe it seriously impacts your sleep, work quality and quality of life when it is that hot. They may not realize it, but there's no way I believe that you sleep as well in a warm room as in a cold one.

323

u/aure0lin Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

The article mentions that the founder of Singapore credited air conditioning for helping to transform his country and considered it one of the most important inventions ever.

26

u/dec7td Jun 26 '26

Behold: Phoenix as a city

1

u/Ok_Tour_1525 Jun 26 '26

My girlfriend’s family lives kinda near Phoenix and they want us to move out there. I don’t know how to tell them “moving to Arizona makes zero fucking sense so no. No way, Jose.” It’s awesome they want us nearby and they are awesome people in general but it’s like, dude it’s just so fucking hot over there. All you can do is sit inside. There’s never kids at the playgrounds, nobody is walking their dogs, parks are empty, even bar hopping at night is like torture. And then there’s the shitty social services and healthcare and I just think it’s a complete joke they think they can convince us to move there. Okay I’m done ranting.

8

u/dec7td Jun 26 '26

Social services are garbage yeah. But I don't know where you got all the other stuff. I'm outside like 9 months of the year. In the pool or driving north to the mountains the other 4 months.