The impact of Arab cultural values on online social networking: The case of Facebook

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of cultural values on motivations and attitudes toward Social Networking Sites (SNSs) in the Arab world, and the factors affecting the continuity of membership value. Online questionnaire was used to collect data from the Arab Facebook members. Structural Equation Modeling, using EQS was conducted to analyze the data. The results indicated to a disparity in cultural impact on motivations and attitudes. At the time that Arab youth seek to liberate from all the kinds of restrictions to satisfy their human needs through joining SNSs, their attitudes are still influenced by the cultural values of Arab nation. The results also revealed a significant effect of members’ motivations, attitudes, and usage on the continuity of Facebook membership value. The present study contributes to the continuing discussion about why and how people engage in SNSs from different nations’ cultures, especially after the critical roles of SNSs in so-called Arab Spring.

► The Arab youth seek to liberate from all the kinds of restrictions through joining SNSs.
► Their attitudes are still influenced by the cultural values of Arab nation.
► Members’ motivations, attitudes, and usage affect the continuity of membership value.