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Japanese Users Have Fewest Online Friends, Study Says

by Amar Toor on October 12, 2010 at 11:47 AM

japanese keyboardAccording to a new study from research firm TNS, Japanese social networkers are the loneliest people on Earth. As the BBC reports, the study found that the average Japanese Web surfer has just 29 online friends -- the lowest average among the 46 countries under examination, well behind even China's average of 68 friends. At the other end of the spectrum, Malaysian online consumers have the most social networking friends, with an average of 233, followed by Brazil (231) and Norway (217).

Not surprisingly, the typical Malaysian Web user also spends the most time on social networking sites -- roughly 9 hours per week -- while the average Russian and Turkish users spend an average of 8.1 hours and 7.7 hours, respectively. The study may provide some interesting insight into cross-border behavioral differences and approaches to social networking, but Japanese Facebookers shouldn't let their last place finish get them down. Considering how many Facebook "friends" are actually our friends, Japan's social networkers probably aren't lonelier than the rest of the world; they're just more honest with themselves.

Tags: behavior, china, facebook, friends, friendship, Japan, malaysia, norway, russia, SocialNetworking, study, top, turkey, web

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