The "Friend" Wars: Malaysia, Brasil Top the U.S.

Americans are a competitive bunch. We seem to want more of everything and we get angry when we're not No. 1. So what to make of a new study that shows Americans don't have the most "friends"?

Americans, it turns out, have an average of 178 friends on social networking sites, according to a survey of 50,000 people in 46 countries conducted by the British research agency TNS. Malaysians are the most social (233 friends) with Brazilians a close second (231). At the bottom of the ladder are Japanese (29 friends), followed by Tanzanians (38).

The findings are included in a colorful and fascinating interactive presentation at DiscoverDigitalLife.com.

Among the other discoveries of digital life in the United States:

• 76.3 percent of the population reports having access to the Internet.
• 53 percent of online users say email is the most important online function.
• 17 percent say social networking is most important.

The survey also places online users into six categories:

• 27 percent identify as "networkers"—those who use the Web to establish and maintain relationships.
• 22 percent are "functionals"—those who use the Web primarily for email, news, and shopping.
• 20 percent are "influencers"—those who like to be heard on the Web through blogging and social networking.
• 16 percent are "knowledge seekers"—those who go online to get information about a topic or activity, but aren't very active in social networks.
• 11 percent are "communicators"—those who love to use their mobile phones to either talk, text or email.
• 4 percent are "aspirers"—those are are new to the Internet and are just beginning to establish their online identity.

Check out the interactive to see how the other 45 countries surveyed stack up against the United States.

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