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When to use tú vs usted

 Degrees of formality are complex to maneuver in any culture. They also change over time and can vary from country to country. The Spanish-speaking world is no exception. Some countries, like Spain, Argentina and the countries in the Caribbean, for instance, have a tendency to use the informal tú (or vos) more liberally–older people use tú with each other quickly after meeting, and are accustomed to accepting the tú treatment from younger people. Speakers in other countries, like those in Central America, are much more formal, and older adults maintain the usted and expect the formal treatment from young and older acquaintances and even friends and family members. So be alert and pay attention to how the locals use more or less formal manners of addressing each other. As a rule, wait to be invited to use the tuteo–the treatment of tú. In this scene, notice how the professor (a Spaniard) invites the young assistant to use tú, which the assistant (Argentinian) readily accepts and practices. This exchange might not happen so frequently or easily in a similar situation
in, let’s say, Colombia or Guatemala.