How Differences in National Cultures Shape Social Media Use Gaurav Mishra Ben Turner BRIC

How Does Culture Mediate Social Media Use in BRIC Countries?

ICCT

November 11, 2008Gaurav Mishra, Ben Turner

What do we know about them (1)?

Kim, ChinaOlga, Russia Raj, India

Leo, Brazil Mike, USA

What is their cultural context (1)?

Source: Culture’s Consequences by Geert Hofstede , 2001

BrazilChina

IndiaRussia

United States World

69 80 77 93

40 57

38 20 48 39

91 50

49 66 56 36 62

51

76 30 40 95 46

65

65 118 61

29 48

Personal Distance Individuality MasculinityUncertainty Avoidance Long Term Orientation


Source: Communicating with Strangers, WB Gudykunst & YY Kim, 1997Understanding Cultural Differences by Edward Hall & Mildred Hall, 1990

High Uncertainty Avoidance- Less ease in unfamiliar situations- Higher privacy concerns

Individualism- Larger social circles-Weak ties- Lower privacy concerns

Low Uncertainty Avoidance- More ease in unfamiliar situations-Lower privacy concerns

Collectivism- Smaller social circles- Strong ties- Higher privacy concerns

High Context?

Low Context?

Introducing a third dimension

Source: Universal McCann, 2008, Total Population, Age 16-54, Last Month

0%2%4%6%8%

10%12%14%16%18%20%

Brazil China IndiaRussia

USAWorld

9%

4%2%

5%

19%

5%

Manage profile on a social network

Low penetration leads to early adopter bias

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 20 40 60 80 100 120


Source: Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, 1991; Universal McCann, 2008Size of the circle represents the penetration of social networks in each country

IndividualismCollectivism

High Uncertainty Avoidance

Low Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance

Penetration

Collectivism

Privacy concerns

Social behavior


Medium collectivism, low uncertainty avoidance, very low penetrationInternet access often sharedHigh social behaviorLow privacy concern

High collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, medium penetrationLow social behaviorHigh privacy concern

Extreme individualism, medium uncertainty avoidance, high penetrationMedium social behaviorMedium privacy concern

High collectivism, extreme uncertainty avoidance, medium penetrationHigh incidence of spamMedium social behaviorMedium privacy concern

Extreme collectivism, low uncertainty avoidance, low penetrationInternet access often sharedDeep and wide censorshipMedium social behaviorMedium privacy concern

Kim, ChinaOlga, Russia

Raj, India


What do they do on the social web (1)?

Source: Universal McCann, 2008; Active Internet Users, Age 16-54; Last Month

Brazil ChinaIndia

RussiaUSA

World

88% 84%80%

58% 63% 75%

79% 84%77%

62%51% 63%

54% 65%49%

47%22% 36%

69% 56%59%

54%

35%48%

34% 61%36%

20%

16%28%

61% 56%

49%

39%

32%39%

55% 46%

45%

20%

18%

29%

45% 44%

37%

45%

14%

26%

Watch video clips online Read blogs/weblogsDownload a podcast Manage profile on a social networkUpdate personal weblog Upload photos to a photo sharing websiteUpload video clip to video sharing website Subscribe to a RSS feed

Source: Social Technographics, Forrester Research, 2008; Active Internet Users, Last Month

What do they do on the social web (2)?

United States

Metro China

25%25%

69%71%

35%23%

19%34%

37%44%

21% 40%

Inactives Spectators Joiners Collectors Critics Creators

How social are they on the social web (1)?

-

50

100

150

200

250

300

Brazil India

ChinaUSA

World

38 42 28

20 35

45 52

32 21 32

52 43

31

17 30

49 33

49

12

28

24 45

34

17

26

17 36

32

9

21

26 18

26

7

13

9 24

13

7

9

Face to Face Email Social Network Instant MessengerPhone Text Message Personal Blog Post/ Letter

260292

234

110

Source: Universal McCann, 2008, Active Internet Users, Age 16-54

194

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

BrazilChina

IndiaRussia

United States

61% 60%70%

35%

24%

70%64%

76%

49%

29%

Blogging for Socializing with Friends Social Networking for Making New Friends





0%10%20%30%40%50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

BrazilChina

IndiaRussia

United States

25%

8%18%

5%5%

88%

78% 82%

53% 54%

Super Influencers Reviewed Movie

Source: Synovate, 2008, Social Network Users


0%20%40%60%80%

100%120%140%160%180%200%

BrazilIndia

RussiaUnited States

30% 64%50%

33%

20%

25%

13%32%

45%

64%

25% 59%

11%

32%

7%

22%

Online conversations as meaningful More friends online than offlineEasier to make friends online More enjoyment from online friends

What social networks do they prefer?

Source: Oxyweb based on Alexa data, 2008

Facebook MySpace Orkut Xiaonei Vkontakte Hi5


What is their attitude towards privacy (1)?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

BrazilIndia

RussiaUnited States

14%

6% 14%16%

44%

1%5%

43%

21%

12%

20%

10%

Privacy Concern Security Concern Other Concerns

79%

19%

39%

69%



0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

BrazilIndia

RussiaUnited States

23%

57%

36%

30%

Comfortable giving out personal details on social networks

Fake profiles?


Source: Elizabeth Churchill and Shyong K. Lam , 2005

Private Public


Source: Analysis by Ben Turner, 2008

MySpace (United States)

Orkut(India/ Brazil)

Facebook(United States/ India)

Xiaonei(China)

VKontakte(Russia)

Low control over privacy settings

High control over privacy settings

Two different Americas?


Medium collectivism, low uncertainty avoidance, very low penetrationHigh social behaviorLow privacy concern1 Orkut #2 FacebookRead blogs > write blogs

High collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, medium penetrationTotal dominance of OrkutHeavy users of social networks vs. concern about privacy?

Extreme individualism, medium uncertainty avoidance, high penetration#1 MySpace #2 FacebookSmall social circles?

High collectivism, extreme uncertainty avoidance, medium penetration#1 VKontakte #2 Odnoklassniki

Extreme collectivism, low uncertainty avoidance, low penetration#1 Kaixin 101 #2 XiaoneiHeavy readers & writers of blogs in spite of censorshipHeavy users of IM & BB

Kim, ChinaOlga, Russia

Raj, India


Next steps (1): Gaps in research on social networks

Questions

Sociability vs. privacy?

Effect of penetration

levels?

Effect of censorship?

Effect of spam?

Strength of linkages?

Direction of causality?

Privacy settings vs. fake

profiles?

?Content vs. profile info?

Path dependence?

Next steps (2): What does your social network say about

you?

Two different Americas?

Source: Danah Boyd

MySpace Facebook

Students and artistsLess premiumUse driven by entertainment and self-expression

Students and corporate typesMore premiumUse driven by applications, clean UI and enhanced privacy settings

Two different Chinas?Kaixin 101 Xiaonei

Corporate typesUse driven by applications and games

College studentsUse driven by keeping in touch with classmates

Two different Indias?Orkut Facebook

Almost everyoneLess premiumUse driven by profile-surfing, friendingstrangers and scrapping

Initially Non Resident Indians and their friends, now corporate types and students in metrosMore premiumUse driven by applications, clean UI and enhanced privacy settings

Two different Russias?VKontakte Odnoklassniki

Both students and corporate types StudentsUse driven by keeping in touch with classmates

One Brazil!

Orkut

Next steps (3): A model for online privacy

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pA_GEwoxAMIJmkch1xnOmYA

Technology

How Differences in National Cultures Shape Social Media Use Gaurav Mishra Ben Turner BRIC