Facebook Users In Developing Countries Don't Know They're on the Internet

Users in developing countries are able to get mobile devices with Facebook as the sole app, and Facebook access is included in the data plan at no extra charge.

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Interestingly, there seems to be a disparity in some developing countries between internet users and Facebook users. In fact, in some cases more people report using the social network than using the internet.

The disparity was noted in 2012 by Helani Galpaya, COO of think-tank LIRNEasia, when studying internet use in Thailand and Indonesia. There was roughly a 10 percent gap between Facebook and Internet use. Rohan Samarajiva, founding chair of LIRNEasia also said, “It seemed that in their minds, the Internet did not exist; only Facebook.”

Quartz decided to try and replicate this phenomenon, and with a limited study of 500 users in Nigeria and Indonesia, found the same 10 percent disparity.

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