The USA/West-EU countries make up about 12% of the world’s population, yet have about 80% participation on Reddit. Statistics do not differ much for other sites, as I used to have a decent non-anonymous tech blog years ago, where Google and WordPress offered me similar statistics of 70-75% of the visitors being from the Anglosphere.

Is it because the citizens of these countries are drenched in individualist capitalist societal culture, and easier access to fast internet? What else could be the reasons, and cultural cues?

I have felt that it is the core reason for this chaos and toxicity on the internet, where this very kind of immoral self-centered culture became a virtual hegemony over the decades.

It is a thought that strikes my mind often, as someone from India/Asia, and there is almost non existent discussion about this anywhere.

  • someone@lemmy.ml
    5·
    4 years ago

    I think it’s pretty simple, these platforms get made in US or Europe. They get adopted there first, and by the time other countries make their way in there they become west centric. So they get turned off by it and leave. It’s like asking why Weibo is China centric (kind of anyway, it’s not exactly the same thing). In federated instances this doesn’t seem to be a big issue, there are Japanese Mastodon instances. I think same will be the case with Lemmy when it gets adoption.

    • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.mlOP
      54·
      4 years ago

      Decentralisation will be the future for non Westerners, and Africa will be helped out of Facebook hegemony as they get out of the slavery relationship with Europe and USA, via China’s BRI.

      But there has to be initiatives like Lemmy and Mastodon for multiple types of internet platforms that are mainstream.

      • dragonX@lemmy.ml
        2·
        4 years ago

        There is nowhere else where tech giants hold as big monopolies as in Africa. Alternative platforms usage is nonexistent.

      • southerntofu@lemmy.ml
        12·
        4 years ago

        Yes, tell me more about how China is not (yet another) colonial empire with its Belt Road Initiative /s

        Not that i’m defending other colonizing nations. But the whole “civilizing mission” of “superior cultures” to build useful infrastructure and such is so cliché in the history of colonization.

        • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.mlOP
          31·
          4 years ago

          Because we have not had non divide and conquer style civilisations that helped other nations at this scale yet. India was always its own thing, and USSR/Russia was isolated as well, both not fit enough to be leading superpower with globalisation plans.

          There are only so many key powers, USA, EU, India, China and Russia. EU is divided into two parts, where West EU is like little brother to USA. That leaves China that has a history of being colonised and imperialised and suffered loss in the two Opium Wars thanks to illegal British drug smuggling during Qing dynasty.

          A non US/EU country must be given a fair chance, which I support since US/West EU (not East EU) opposes this due to their hegemonic collapse.

          • southerntofu@lemmy.ml
            22·
            4 years ago

            Literally all the countries you have cited have a history of conquest, subjugating people, and repressing popular movements. Yes, even India, China and Russia. India has hindu nationalism. China has han nationalism. Russia has whatever they call their brand of christian-orthodox authoritarianism. All three countries have severe political repression against minorities.

            • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.mlOP
              2·
              4 years ago

              India has ultra nationalism not for all Hindus but for the 15-30% upper caste section of all Hindus. Hindus consist of Brahmins/Pandits (general), 50-70% lower caste (SC/ST/OBC/others). Hindus make up for 80% of the population of 130 crore (100 crore =1 billion).

              China has over 300 dialects and multiple classes of people, where Han make up 91% of the 150 crore population. If there was Han supremacy, Uyghurs would not be allowed to produce more than 1 child, compared to restrictions on Han Chinese majority.

              Russia has a different style of population, 71% Orthodox Christian and 10% Islam. Russia does have some limitations, that criticism is known.

              You should research before accepting and advocating such absurd groupthink stereotypes as a foreigner.