The Influence Of Culture On Our Online Behavior
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The internet is becoming an increasingly personalized place, from predicting personal preferences and human behaviors to assessing psychological persuasion techniques. However, there is one fundamental area that has remained, thus far, dangerously overlooked: culture. In On! The Future of Now, Natalie Nahai examines the different cultural sensibilities that we bring with us as we interact online. Our cultural preferences dictate the amount of information we can process on a single page, the types of content that capture our interest and what leads us to trust businesses and organizations.
Natalie’s analysis comprises of looking at the cultures of the UK, Japan, Finland and the U.S. Each country has their own set of preferences surrounding issues like uncertainty, restraint, and pragmatism that web users bring to the table when navigating the web. Though the web brings us together and makes it possible for companies and individuals to connect across the globe, Natalie emphasizes the need for cultural sensibility to make the most of our online activity. “If we are to optimize our online endeavors so that we can succeed not only now but in the future,” Natalie explains, “then culturability may just turn out to be your most powerful tool yet.”
*This post is part of a series highlighting personal stories and key themes from our new book, On! The Future of Now. Order your copy of On! The Future of Now here. Proceeds to support Charity: Water.
About Natalie Nahai
Natalie Nahai, The Web Psychologist, is the author of the best-seller, “Webs of Influence.” In her work, she studies how online environments influence our attitudes and behaviors. Learn more about Natalie here.
About On! The Future of Now
Published in partnership with Nokia and curated by Toby Daniels and Craig Hepburn, On! The Future of Now is a collection of essays and personal stories from leading thinkers, including best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin; Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn; Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of BuzzFeed and Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit. On! The Future of Now is available in eBook and paperback. To buy the book and support Charity: Water, click here.
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