American Friendships

To say someone is your friend sounds a lot better than to say someone is an acquaintance because it suggests that the two people enjoy each others' presence and like each other. As a result of this, Americans have gotten into the habit of calling everyone they're associated with their friend. Since it's not likely to be close to every single person you're associated with, it seems almost as if these friendships have no depth or meaning. This causes others to view it as superficial.