China

Social-networking sites are booming in China. Throughout 2008, social-networking sites in China rapidly gained hold among university students and young professionals, and by 2009 Chinese internet users of all backgrounds and age groups were active in their use, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). (Boston Consulting Group, May 2010)

China has 243 million broadband consumers, according to AdAge China in April 2009. More interestingly, 92% (224 million) aged 13 and above, contributed to social media. This compared to 105 million Americans (or 76% of the broadband population). 43% of Chinese broadband users (105 million people) communicate via forums/discussion boards, and 41 million Chinese are "heavy" social media contributors, meaning they participate in six or more activities and connect with at least 84 people on a "one-to-many" basis in a typical week.

In addition to the rapid increase and penetration of the internet in China, the online engagement in China is incredibly high with over 40% publishing or uploading content online, compared to just under 20% in North America and Europe, according to a research report by Forrester Research "Chinese Technographics Revealed 2009". (ForImmediateRelease.Net - Travel News Distribution powered by eTurboNews, April 2009)

80% of respondents describe the internet in China as social, according to "Media Shifts to Social: China," released by Netpop Research. Broadband penetration in China totals 243 million for users age 13 and above. Of those, 224 million (or 92%), contribute to social media. That's compared to 105 million Americans, or 76% of the US broadband population.

Heavy social media contributors in China, those who take part in six or more activities in a typical week, connect with an average of 84 people on a one-to-many basis. Their US counterparts connect with an average 248 people per week.

We see people that have only been e-mailing with their friends are now interacting with social networking services with friends, on photo-sharing services, and social networks as well. In China, they are not connecting to as many people as in the US.

Motivation for social networking differs between the two countries. In the US people use these sites for very personal and very social means. In China the adoption of social media has more to do with the career development, with the development of opinions of professional ideas, of sharing with others more than just a social engagement that we find in the US.

The data is part of an online survey of 4,269 broadband users, age 13 and older, in China. It was conducted in September and October, 2008. (ClickZ, March 2009)