Cool Japan: Internet

■Cool Japan: Internet

NHK Cool Japan: "Internet" edition.

Japan is one of the world's leading countries in the amount of information sent out via the internet. Japan has also monopolized the top five world records for things like the number of tweets per second. Japan is a powerhouse of internet communication.

Nowadays, everyone around the world uses smartphones and the internet on their mobile phones, but in Japan, mobile phones and the internet were combined eight years before the smartphone was invented, which was overwhelmingly early.

We have developed a world-leading way of using the Internet.

"Anonymous"

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, only 5% of people use their real names on social media. 95% use anonymous names or handle names.

I think there are two factors behind Japanese people's love of anonymity.

First of all, I'm not good at asserting myself.

I don't think it's virtuous to show off my knowledge or information or to put others down with arguments, and I'm not good at discussing politics or society.

Another thing is knowing how to distinguish between what you really think and what you say. I've lived in a world of pretenses.

On the internet you can say what you really think, but you still have to hide who you are.

But the important thing is that we finally have a means, the Internet, that allows us to express our true feelings, as long as we do so anonymously.

As a result, it began to disseminate the best information in the world.

I think that because it was a world of pretense, Japan had a strong incentive to communicate online.

"Emojis and stamps"

Even in the days of mobile phones, before smartphones, Japanese people loved to include pictures in emails, a method known as Deco-mail, and emoticons and emoticons had developed to a level unparalleled in the world.

Japan is a country rich in expression other than written information.

They are skilled at illogical communication, using symbols like family crests, onomatopoeia and mimetic words, etc.

They like to use stamps and emojis to complement words.

LINE is a complementary tool that has become the main form of communication .

"Senior"

According to a survey by a life insurance company, 35% of Japanese people in their 60s and 70s use SNS. That means one in three people use SNS.

I think that seniors who have retired from companies especially have a strong desire to be of service to others and to be recognized by others.

Moreover, they have plenty of time. I think that SNS, which connects people and renews those bonds , is especially suited to seniors. I hope they will make full use of it.

With the spread of the Internet, the characteristics of communication in Japan have become more apparent.

Things like loving anonymity, emojis, and what seniors are passionate about.

But the Internet still has a long way to go. I'm looking forward to it.