7 'reverse culture shocks' from Americans returning to the US after living overseas

• People who've returned to the US after spending time abroad are sharing "reverse culture shocks."
• These are the things about US culture that they felt surprised by, even though they're American.

Culture shocks are a well-known, hugely popular genre on travel TikTok. Users who have visited or moved to other countries frequently share aspects of life in these environments that surprised them and that they aren't used to in their own cultures.

Some Americans who've moved to Europe have previously said that one of the biggest culture shocks they experienced was hang drying laundry, after being so used to using an electric dryer back home.

But another hugely popular genre on TikTok and other social media platforms shows us the flip side: the reverse culture shocks some Americans experience after returning to the US from time overseas.

Some have reported struggling to refamiliarize themselves with or feeling shocked by certain elements of life in the US, such as tipping culture in restaurants and the size of the cars, after deciding to move back to the US or returning for a visit.

These "reverse culture shocks," as they have been dubbed online, typically based on anecdotal accounts, might serve to showcase some of the unique aspects of US culture, which users forgot about or didn't experience while abroad. They offer a glimpse at the country from a familiar yet distant point of view.

Here are seven things about the US that people say have caused reverse culture shock.