Here's an interesting article from the MIT paper, Tech Review, by Erica Naone.

Click to Open Web Page

We often think of the US as being the center of the internet, but in the case of social networks, Americans are only modest users when compared to South America, the EU and even Asia and the middle east.

Recently, the greatest growth in the sites' popularity has occurred outside the U.S. In Asia and Australia, for example, the number of monthly users of social-networking sites (under a broad definition that includes, for example, blogging sites) jumped nearly 50 -- Erica Naone

The question I often ask, is why?

In Brazil, I've heard, there is quite a bit more motivation to "see and be seen". In other words, most Americans I speak to think of Brazil as being more into the community scene because it fits their culture well.

Ok, so what about Asia? Friendster is huge in the Philippines, somehow I don't think of that culture as being into self-promotion.

Anyway, the article doesn't really have answers so much as facts, but its worth a read - especially because of a nice world map that you can click on and play with.

Graph of Social Network growth Site growth data courtesy of Comscore, Erica Naone and MIT Technology Review

Great job Erica!