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Using Smart Phones While Walking:
Hidden Cultural Differences between Japan and America

National Institute of Technology, Akashi College

I: Good morning everyone. My name is Ikumi Kabeshita.

H: My name is Hikaru Kimura.

M: My name is Masaya Hayashi. Now, let us begin.

I: Today, engineers all over the world keep researching and studying to make the daily lives of people convenient and comfortable. And, as a result of their studying, they have been continuously contributing to society by making great changes for better living. It's been 138 years since the first telephone in the world was made by Alexander Graham Bell. Recently, the multi-functional mobile phone called the “Smart Phone” has appeared and the number of smart phone owners is increasing here in Japan as well as in other countries.

H: As everyone knows, the smart phone is a really useful device since it not only has the functionality to text or call someone, but also to access the Internet, play games, and even to utilize for your profession. Therefore, we can easily imagine that people have been spending too much time using smart phones because of their multi-functionality. As a result, many people find themselves multitasking as they go about their daily routines while using smart phones. This often leads to a social problem known as “texting while walking.”

M: “Texting while walking” means, as the name suggests, using one's smart phone while walking without looking forward. When you are “texting while walking,” your field of vision will be 95% narrower than your usual view. So your recognition of the situation around you will be much lower. As a matter of course, this is extremely dangerous because it not only causes collisions between pedestrians, but it could also result in someone falling from a platform at a train station which could mean that person's death.

I: So, how is it that this social problem, “texting while walking,” has spread all over the world? Well, “texting while walking” is a phenomenon that appeared as the number of people using their smart phones, despite the fact that they were walking, increased. Therefore, at first, it was an individual problem regarding a breach of manner, but, it has since gradually changed to a social problem in every culture in which the smart phone has been introduced.

H: Then, what kinds of measures have been taken toward solving this problem around the world? As for measures taken at the early stages here in Japan, some posters were put up to signal its danger and some videos were uploaded to warn people about “texting while walking.” This public effort did not seem to have a great impact. Later, some governments in the world actually decided to penalize those who were “texting while walking” with a fine. Some of the measures managed to get results, but others did not.

M: Now, we'd like you to take a look at examples of control measures against “texting while walking,” actually taken in Japan and America. However, the point we'd like to highlight is not which one is right or wrong, but which target for the control measures has been chosen in each country, “individuals” or “society.”

I: Firstly, we'd like you to take a look at an example in Japan. Mobile phone companies such as NTT Docomo, au, and Soft Bank have released an application to alert people to the danger of “texting while walking.” When you are “texting while walking,” this application will display a warning screen and keep restricting your operation until you stop walking.

H: We can see clearly that this measure focuses on those who own the smart phones. In other words, this measure is an “individual” control.

M: Secondly, we'd like you to take a look at an example in America. The National Geographic Channel aired a TV program, in which there were sidewalks divided into two parts; a “No cellphones lane” and a “Cellphones lane,” for investigating pedestrians' behaviors. However, many people, who were actually using their smart phones at the time, did not notice the markings at all.

H: This measure didn't result in success, but it obviously tried to make the society adapt to solve the social problem of “texting while walking.” In other words, the target of this measure was “society.” And, that society was made up of two publicly defined groups: Those who were using their cell phones and those who were not.

I: Now, we've just talked about control measures in Japan as being focused on “individuals” and those in America being focused on “society.” But, why have “individuals” been chosen as a target in Japan? And, why has “society” been chosen as a target in America? To consider these answers, let's make a comparison between the solidarity of Japanese and American communities.

H: Traditionally, Japanese people have considered relationships with other people in their society to be the most important. Therefore, each “individual” in Japan has a heavy responsibility not to disturb the group.

I: According to an investigation by the International Social Survey Program about people's attitudes toward a social security system in Japan, as of 2006, compared with other nationalities, Japanese people have more of a tendency to think that an individual's responsibility to society is greater than that of a government's when certain social problems occur. This investigation shows that individuals in Japan have heavy responsibilities not to disturb the norms of society. Therefore, the “individuals” in Japan should be targeted if their behavior is different from everyone else's. This is why control measures in Japan have focused on “individuals.”

H: On the other hand, Americans are known for their “rugged individualism,” a term and a concept that was made popular by U.S. President Herbert Hoover's 1928 election campaign. As such, each “individual” in America has a strong claim to his or her individual rights.

M: According to an investigation by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, in 2009, the number of civil lawsuits in America was eight times that of Japan. And, the number of the civil lawsuits in America is relatively large on a global scale, while Japan's number is relatively small. This investigation shows that Americans have a tendency to think of themselves first and what is best for them as individuals. So, case by case, there may be reason for concern over whether or not new rules presented directly to an American might appear to impose on his or her individual rights. This could be why the control measures in America we have learned about so far have chosen to focus on “society” as a whole, giving the individual slightly more freedom to decide whether or not to conform.

I: We have described the ideology underlying the culture and society in Japan and America, however, we do not intend to decide which one is right or wrong. But, the difference between ideologies in each society is really interesting, and this is the important point that all of us living in this international society, which has been globalized rapidly, should recognize.

H: Our daily lives are going to become more and more convenient because of technological development. Engineers, however, should expect a social malady, which might be caused by their new product, and they should take some measures toward solving that social malady.

M: In addition, engineers who work worldwide should understand various cultures and thoughts around the world. Diversity, inclusion, and sustainability will be keywords more so than ever in our future world. Therefore, we'd like to finish our presentation by insisting on the necessity that each of us considers the answer to the following question as individuals without relying on others. Here it is: For such a global environment, what do we need to learn through experience in order to cooperate with others?