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Online social networks and location: dual effect of distance on user rate and average number of connections in Hungary

Lengyel, Balázs and Jakobi, Ákos (2014) Online social networks and location: dual effect of distance on user rate and average number of connections in Hungary. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie. ISSN 0040-747X (Submitted)

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Abstract

Online social networks (OSN) are major platforms of ICT-enabled communication, supporting place-independent social life; however, recent findings suggest that geographical location of users strongly affect network topology. Therefore, OSNs may be simultaneously related to locations and also unlocked from offline geographies. Our paper addresses this dual-faced phenomenon analysing location-specific impact on the user rate of online communities and average number of online friends. Findings on iWiW, a leading OSN in Hungary with more than 4 million users, suggest that user rate is positively associated with geographical proximity of Budapest, the single decisive urban centre in the country. On the other hand, the average number of connections is independent from geographical proximity of the capital and it is even higher in peripheral regions when controlling for other offline factors.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: online social networks, Hungary, spatial regression, distance, diffusion, innovation
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation / földrajz, antropológia, kikapcsolódás > G Geography (General) / Földrajz általában
H Social Sciences / társadalomtudományok > H Social Sciences (General) / társadalomtudomány általában
Depositing User: dr. Ákos Jakobi
Date Deposited: 24 Sep 2014 10:40
Last Modified: 03 Apr 2023 08:15
URI: http://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/15915

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