Culturally Unique Social Patterns in Computer-Mediated Social Networking

Introduction

As our communicative environment continues to be influenced by the introduction of new computer-mediated communication (CMC) applications, the effects of these applications are impacting the social world in complex ways. Communication technologies, such as social-networking sites (SNS), are being used in a number of ways to navigate and mediate the environment of personal identities and relationships. Since these applications are being used with increased frequency, using technologies like SNS has become an important skill when managing relationships online (Stefanone & Lackaff, 2009, Stefanone, Lackaff, & Rosen, 2008). As a result of the frequency and importance of CMC applications in our relationships, the instrumental decisions one makes when deciding how to behave in these mediated environments becomes an important element in managing our social world.

A unique aspect of these new computer-mediated technologies is that spatial and geographic boundaries are no longer barriers to interaction, allowing people from a diverse set of cultures to interact with each other with increased ease and frequency. Given that many of the new CMC applications require people to establish an online identity with personal profiles, earlier findings indicating that impressions formed in CMC environments can be more intense that offline (see Hancock & Dunham, 2004), it is important to understanding how individuals who identify with different cultures use the CMC platforms to present their identities. This chapter presents an investigation into the relationship between computer-mediated communicative behaviors and culture to explore whether culturally influenced behaviors normally associated with face-to-face communication emerge as patterned behavior in CMC.

In this chapter, literature on culture-specific communicative styles and behaviors frames an investigation into the use of specific Web 2.0 technologies: SNSs. Literature on broad cultural differences in behavior is reviewed, followed by a review of research on CMC technologies with emphasis on SNSs. The literature review concludes with hypotheses and research questions about the different uses of SNSs as related to culture. Methodological procedures will be discussed, followed by results, discussion of limitations and implications for future research.