Cross‐cultural differences in online self‐presentation: A content analysis of personal Korean and US home pages

The purpose of this study was to explore the cross‐cultural differences in online presentation, by applying the concept of the independent and interdependent self‐construal to the online context. Therefore, this study analyzed 98 Korean and US individual home pages to examine how cultural differences are displayed online, especially as they relate to manifestations of collectivism and individualism. The results of the study indicated that personal homepages can serve as a forum for the expression of cultural identity. Most notably, while the US virtual actors presented themselves in a direct and personal manner, the Korean virtual actors structured the online self by providing interlinks to special interests. Virtual actors in the US were more likely to present themselves with still pictures, while those in Korea were more likely to use manipulated graphics. These differences in online presentation were consistent with the individualistic and collectivistic orientations of these cultures.