I'm confused I'm from what many call a 'developing country' in the Caribbean and everyone applies for their passport as kids
Excuse me for snapping on you then.
However, context is always important. The idea of needing a passport is necessary if you're traveling from country to country. To get from paris to rome is 14hrs. For comparison, to get from ny to florida is 18hrs.
We joke about americans not being cultured because they "don't travel", but travel within the US from state to state is just as extensive, mileage wise, as being in Europe and traveling from country to country.
Seriously just run the numbers. From NY to LA is a 6hr flight. From NY to Hawaii is 11hrs. Neither of those trips requires a passport. The US and Europe are roughly the same size, but I don't have a cool ass passport book to show for all the states I've traveled to.