International Debate：What does the Net produce? (Part 2)

 These are the questions that I was asked regarding the influence that the internet would have on society at the Stanford Trans-Asian Dialogue.

Q. What about the influence on Japan, China and Korea?

A. In regards to the territorial disputes, the net can serve to add fuel to the fire and to act as a breeder reactor for patriots. On the other hand, fans of Japanese anime, manga and games also increase in China and Korea as a result of the internet.

 When the Senkaku dispute was flaring up I spoke to students in the doctoral program at Peking University and asked them about the Japanese people whom they were aware of. Number three was Hayao Miyazaki, number two was Doraemon, and number one was Sora Aoi. I’m not entirely sure that number two is Japanese, but regardless, it’s a problem that none of them mentioned a politician, businessperson, or scholar. This problem isn’t unique to the Net.

Q. What do you think of the problem of digital pollution?

A. Digital signage takes up space. The use of public space in Japan is more strictly limited than in China or Korea, but private space like on taxis or department stores is not regulated. It might be possible to regulate the amount of visible media in the future, but as it becomes more ubiquitous it also becomes less effective. It might be best to leave the matter to market forces. This will also be a problem for consumer literacy.

Q. Will there be another large international problem?

A. In terms of copyright, the protection of children, and privacy, the conflict will not be one of countries. It will be a conflict between nations and global corporations. Japan has no influence over corporations like Google and Apple. They may have to think of new schemes to gain influence, or implement access limitations after the Chinese model.

Q. Will the relationship between newspapers and the Net change?

A. I am already tired of hearing stories are how people are shocked to hear that young people don’t read newspapers and don’t have a TV. Even in my case, my media consumption has already changed. Ten years ago I would wake up and 1) Open the newspaper, 2) Turn on the TV, and 3) check the news on my PC. Now things have reversed. I 1) Check Facebook, 2) follow Twitter, 3) Look at web sites, 4) watch TV news, and 5) read the newspaper.

 In the past, things were in the order of reliability. Now they are prioritized by proximity, recency, and then reliability. Confirmation takes place slowly at the end of the process. All of the media have value to me. The problem doesn’t necessarily lie in whether or not the medium is paper or not.