Over time, the cultures of European countries and North America have diversified in some ways and shared qualities in others. Culture is defined as the sum of the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement considered collectively. With the invention of mass media, the spread of cultural norms skyrocketed. With ever-increasing cultural diffusion, it can be assumed that there are no longer many differences between customs between Europe and America. However, new cultural differences are created every day. Often, our perception of time is shaped by the environment in which we live. In American culture, a century-old building is considered old. While in European countries a century-old building is still considered a young building. As Americans flock to European countries seeking to marvel at the structural wonder of European architecture, they are exposed to buildings that are two thousand years old or more. These buildings are what Europeans would consider old. The European perception of distance is another great contrast to that of many Americans. If a European were to travel sixty miles, he would consider the distance quite long. For Americans, however, sixty miles is considered a relatively short distance. Much of these different perceptions of distance are intertwined with the difference in the size of continents. Although Europeans consider distances to be much greater than Americans, on average Europeans travel much more than Americans. This desire to travel may have to do with Europe's proximity to other countries. Just like Americans, Europeans often use the size and make of their cars as status symbols. For most Europeans, though, a smaller car is much more practical. Unlike most... middle of paper... European church-goers generally consist of seniors and families at special events such as Christmas. Throughout American politics, politicians openly refer to God. In many European countries mixing politics and religion is considered taboo. To many religious Americans, someone who said they didn't believe in God would be considered extremely unpleasant. In Europe the opposite is true. Over time, the cultures of European countries and North America have diversified in some ways and shared qualities in others. Cultural diversity is not just something that exists, cultural diversity is essential to society. Without cultural diversity, countries would lose their uniqueness. If a country has no unique qualities, what is the point of visiting it? If no one visited other countries, the repercussions would be felt across multiple sectors.