Article | Strategy and Innovation area | Year 2009
 

ONLINE AND OFFLINE SOCIAL TIES OF SOCIAL NETWORK WEBSITE USERS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY IN ELEVEN SOCIETIES

by Maha M.; Bryan Marshall; Jeongil Choi; Voraphan Raungpaka; El-Shinnaway; Matthew North; Lars Svensson; Sujie Wang; Daniel T. Norris; Lixin Cui; Natalya Goreva; Ayseli Usluata; Catherine Whelan; Juyun Cho; Caroline Collier; Stefan Nillson; Gilard Ravid; Juan Pablo Valenzuala
  
  Journal of Computer Information Systems 50(1), p.54-64 September

Abstract

This study presents results of a survey about social network website (SNW) usage that was administered to university students in China, Egypt, France, Israel, India, Korea, Macao, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. The offline and online social ties of SNW users were examined by nationality, levels of individualism-collectivism (I-C), gender, SNW usage, age, and access location. Contrary to existing literature, we found no differences in the number of offline friends between individualists and collectivist nations. Similarly, there was not a difference in the number of online social ties between individualist and collectivist nations. However, members of collectivist nations had significantly more online social ties never met in person. Heavy SNW users in individualist nations maintained significantly higher numbers of offline social ties; however, heavy SNW users in collectivist nations did not have higher numbers of offline social ties. Related implications and recommendations are provided.

Keywords: social ties, online social ties, individualism, collectivism, social networking websites