Credits: Social Media
Why rich Americans leave their curtains open
There has been a seemingly growing trend across the United States where, typically, wealthy Americans leave their windows uncovered at night, foregoing items such as curtains, blinds or shades, and leaving the interior of their houses on full display.
While this may seem to be a recent phenomenon, leaving curtains open has been a topic of discussion for years. In 2013, the US Department of Energy conducted a study that touched on the matter, there are internet forums from 2008 discussing the topic and even Alfred Hitchcocks 1954 film Rear Window rests its entire plot on the fact people dont cover their windows.
Why rich Americans leave their windows uncovered
However, while the debate about leaving curtains open at night is hardly new, there is certainly truth in the fact that wealthier homeowners are less likely to cover their windows.
In the US Department of Energys study, they found that Americans who earn more than $150,000 a year were almost twice as likely (19.9%) to leave their windows uncovered than someone who made between $20,000-$29,000 a year (11.5%).
The main reason for this, according to KTLA 5, is that people in high-end neighborhoods are less concerned about break-ins in their area. The same can also be said for not worrying about the cost of heat lost by leaving the curtains open when the temperature drops at night.
Quoting The Atlantic, KTLA 5s Andy Riesmeyer said that leaving windows uncovered was a subtle statement of confidence, stability and privilege.
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Social media reacts
After delving into forum posts and social media comment sections discussing the topic, its clear that there is quite a split in opinion on whether people leave their windows uncovered or not.
Writing on the forum site Mumsnet, one commenter said: It’s partly historical, Puritans used to leave the curtains open so their neighbors could see them being good Puritans even after dark.
A second added: Top of FormMost houses have long front gardens so windows are quite far back from the street. Not many people will walk by through the evening because of the dominance of cars to even see you. At least around here, bedrooms are often at the back of the house, with kitchens and lounges at the front. People also seem less nosy on the whole too!
What’s going on? asked a concerned third. Lights on, curtains closed, please. Stalker’s paradise. Save yourselves Americans!
Over on YouTube, one commenter said: Keep leaving them shades open and posting on social media while youre away!! Criminals love it.
Pretty sure most people would like to keep their curtains open cause of natural sunlight but most of us live side by side our neighbors where they can look in, said another. These rich people have at least an acre of land to where they don’t have close neighbors anyways, so privacy is not an issue.
Meanwhile, one commenter on TikTok said: My mom used to say close the curtains, were not a fishbowl
This nosy commenter added: I love these people. At night driving by I like to see their wall art, what they have on TV, their furnishings. Very fun.
And finally, this TikTok user wrote: I used to live in a not-so-safe neighborhood and the windows were always closed on my street. I moved to a rich neighborhood and I realized a lot of people have their windows wide open.
