Use of Social Networking Websites: A Comparison between American and Korean College Students Sejung Marina Choi and Yoojung Kim, The University of Texas at Austin, USA Dongyoung Sohn, University of South Florida, USA The membership of social networks sites such as Myspace.com and Facebook.com in the United States has recently exploded, reaching 68.8 million in April, 2006 (Neilson//NetRatings 2006). Social networks online are indeed a global phenomenon. For example, Cyworld, the most popular Korean social networking service, holds 18 million registered users as of January, 2006 (SK Communications 2006). With the rapid growth, social networks are appealing to advertisers as an effective channel for targeting the hardto-reach youth generation and engendering word-of-mouth. However, little is known about the users in terms of their motivations and the characteristics of the online communities formed via such services. This presentation will report on exploratory research on social networks among college students who comprise the major segment of social network users. Results of the crosscultural survey in Korea and the U.S. will offer a beginning understanding of college students’ motivations for the use of social networks and their characteristics. Additionally, similarities and differences between the countries will be discussed as the two countries differ along the cultural dimension of individualism versus collectivism, which is expected to influence the formation and maintenance of social networks online and offline.