There can be no doubt that social networking has taken off (which would make a good tweet, hmm) but recent research by research firm TNS has shed some light about variations on how we use it around the world, as reported by the BBC.
The research, for which 50,000 people in 46 countries were interviewed showed that Japan, probably the most tech-savvy country on the planet, is also the one where people have, on average, the least number of friends online.
The figures showed that Japanese people had an average of only 29 online friends compared to the top-rated country Malaysia where Internet users have an average of 233. Elsewhere in the far east, the Chinese have an average of 68 friends.
Some of the greatest numbers are, in second place, Brazil with 231 and Norway with 217.
The research, which is extremely detailed, found that people are now using social networking websites to communicate more than email and that access via mobile devices is increasing rapidly.
In the United States, 76% of people are online with up to 66% of those people accessing the Internet from a mobile device. Of those people online 17% said social networking was important to them.
Compare this to the UK where 83% of people are online and, while the number accessing the Internet from mobile devices is broadly the same as the UK, 24% said social networking was important to them.
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So this article is telling us that the Japanese are the only ones in this world with Real Friends???
I wonder how many of the 500 friends averaged around the world will lend money to a “friend”, help a “friend” move or give a “friend” a place to crash while the “friend” gets back on their feet?
The Social Internet makes for some really retarded social dynamics.
Have they defined friends in this study?
Who cares?
Good heavens …
Perhaps the Japanese actually have more friends? And need sad pursuits like social networking less?
I expect that Japanese people are having online friend that actually they know.
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