If you’re looking for a laboratory to investigate the impact of new technology on human behavior, and also just sheer unapologetic weirdness, Japanese youth culture is the place to go. Bagel heads? Old news! Zentai? Spandex body suits are so last year. In the future that is now, we’re all cyborgs, thanks to mobile devices! Thanks, mobile devices!
On that note, I courteously invite you to guess how much time Japanese schoolgirls ages 10-18 spend on their mobile devices every day, on average. Give up? Would you believe seven hours? And that’s just on average! In fact, 10% of girls in this age group are using their smartphones for 15 hours a day. That’s according to a survey of 618 Japanese teens and tweens conducted by Digital Arts, a security firm.
The devices are ubiquitous, although there is a slight gender skew: 95% of Japanese high school girls and 80% of Japanese high school boys own a smartphone. Boys also spend a bit less time on mobile devices, although this is purely a relative judgment, as they still clock four hours a day glued to mobile screens.
The top activities for both genders are watching videos and chatting via social networks, according to the same survey. Unsurprisingly, multitasking is common, with half the respondents saying they use their smartphones while watching TV, eating, or conversing face-to-face.
Concern about online addiction, facilitated by mobile devices, is on the rise across Asia. Last year Chinese media reported that there were already over 250 Internet detox camps for teenagers whose parents are concerned about flagging academic performance and social dysfunction. The camps typically emphasize physical exercise and a “cold-turkey” approach, totally banishing the Internet from kids’ lives for up to six months.