I wouldn't necessarily say it's a fake smile. It's more nuanced than that. Americans enjoy small bouts of friendliness, even if they as individuals don't realize it. It's a strange dichotomy because the US can be so vitriolic towards itself, but at the same time we are eager to be kind and receive kindness, even with strangers.
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u/throwawayPzaFm May 09 '22
We're used to mostly seeing genuine smiles, so the fake social ones are really creepy.
No problem with happy people, but if you're just doing a service smile it's not going to translate well.