Asia Culture Forum 2006 / Asian Youth Culture Camp "Doing Cultural Spaces in Asia" Session 8 “Globalization of Communication and Culture” 1 Social Benefits of Communication Technologies for Aging Population- A Case Study of Japan Shizuka Abe / Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan Abstract Proponents of mobile communication technology promise borderless, flexible and ubiquitous contacts: real time, round-the-clock, anytime and anywhere, making the geo-spatial conditions irrelevant, and for all age groups, but are these offerings for the beneficiaries of an aging society? This paper attempts to provide a contemporary examination on the use of mobile phones (hence mobile communication) by aging population. For Japan, mobile phone is part of social necessity for most people and it is used for intensive territorial- bound social networking: the mobile phone's role in friendship-building among younger generations – but what about the senior adults and the aged? This paper continues the line of findings for Japan that emphasize socio-familial-spatial (social networking, location and place) relevance of mobile communication, with an examination of mobile communication with/among aging population. It especially considers the elderly and their families, in the need for socially and geo-spatially fixed anchors despite the “mobile” in mobile communication. Given Japanese demographic transitions towards a matured aging one, that it has become a low birth-rate, rapidly aging society (in 2006, its total fertility rate was 1.25; more than 22% of the population was 65 or older), we examine the idiosyncrasies of mobile phone use (mobile communication) – despite the low penetration rates in comparison with the younger generations. One of our important findings highlight that, to foster an active, healthy approach to aging, more initiatives from government and business are needed, as programs launched by business and government to bring senior adults together with mobile communication access appear to be successful. Overall, mobile communication technologies have been beneficial to Japan’s elderly population, and show even greater promise for the future. 1. New Information Technologies Aging Society? Global Policy initiatives for active aging are definitely the defining one for the coming of information society. More specifically, they are in the context of extension of life expectancy, for the promotion of participatory senior adults in all aspects of societal lives. In actuality, it is a paradigmatic shift (WHO 2002). Focusing the case of Japan, this paper addresses to the possible nexus between information and communication technologies (ICT) with and in aging population. At the global level, aging is a challenge for us, particularly with its high speed of aging process, juxtaposing the economic liberalization of the globalization project. The key
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Asia Culture Forum 2006 /
Asian Youth Culture Camp "Doing Cultural Spaces in Asia"
Session 8 “Globalization of Communication and Culture”
1
Social Benefits of Communication Technologies for Aging
Population- A Case Study of Japan
Shizuka Abe / Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan
Abstract
Proponents of mobile communication technology promise borderless, flexible and ubiquitous contacts:
real time, round-the-clock, anytime and anywhere, making the geo-spatial conditions irrelevant, and for all
age groups, but are these offerings for the beneficiaries of an aging society? This paper attempts to provide
a contemporary examination on the use of mobile phones (hence mobile communication) by aging
population.
For Japan, mobile phone is part of social necessity for most people and it is used for intensive territorial-
bound social networking: the mobile phone's role in friendship-building among younger generations – but
what about the senior adults and the aged? This paper continues the line of findings for Japan that
emphasize socio-familial-spatial (social networking, location and place) relevance of mobile
communication, with an examination of mobile communication with/among aging population. It
especially considers the elderly and their families, in the need for socially and geo-spatially fixed anchors
despite the “mobile” in mobile communication.
Given Japanese demographic transitions towards a matured aging one, that it has become a low birth-rate,
rapidly aging society (in 2006, its total fertility rate was 1.25; more than 22% of the population was 65 or
older), we examine the idiosyncrasies of mobile phone use (mobile communication) – despite the low
penetration rates in comparison with the younger generations. One of our important findings highlight
that, to foster an active, healthy approach to aging, more initiatives from government and business are
needed, as programs launched by business and government to bring senior adults together with mobile
communication access appear to be successful. Overall, mobile communication technologies have been
beneficial to Japan’s elderly population, and show even greater promise for the future.
1. New Information Technologies Aging Society?
Global Policy initiatives for active aging are definitely the defining one for the coming of
information society. More specifically, they are in the context of extension of life expectancy,
for the promotion of participatory senior adults in all aspects of societal lives. In actuality, it is a
paradigmatic shift (WHO 2002). Focusing the case of Japan, this paper addresses to the possible
nexus between information and communication technologies (ICT) with and in aging population.
At the global level, aging is a challenge for us, particularly with its high speed of aging
process, juxtaposing the economic liberalization of the globalization project. The key
Asia Culture Forum 2006 /
Asian Youth Culture Camp "Doing Cultural Spaces in Asia"
Session 8 “Globalization of Communication and Culture”
2
issues are the shortage supply of labour and the increasing burden derived from aging
population for government. The doubling of the elderly ratio used to occur at a steady
pace. In the developed countries, it took 105 years in France, 85 years in Sweden, and but
in Japan, only 24 years. The Japanese case is in fact similar to the Newly Industrializing
Economies in Asia (NIEs, like South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore). In all
cases of aging population, they are structurally linked to the speedy industrialization,
modernization and urbanization, at a time of high and sustained economic development.
In the developing countries, the elderly ratio is a low 5.5% at present, but is forecast to
rise to 7.5% in 2020 and 14.6% in 2050. Hence, their elderly ratio is forecast to double in
around 30 years. Perhaps the most dramatic Asian demographic transition is underway in
China, where the consequences of one-child policy reinforce the rapid economic growth
driven decline of the fertility rate, resulting the speeding up of aging process. Conversely,
the direction of any country’s economy depends on longevity: the demography-driven
demands to shape community and service market.
1.1 Mobile Phone Use
For Japan, mobile phone is part of social necessity for most people and it is used for intensive
territorial-bound social networking: the mobile phone's role in friendship-building among
younger generations, as well as between family members - but what about the senior adults and
the aged, and how they will benefit from information society? This is the research question we
will explore.
Using mobile phone commonly in Japan is quite recent phenomenon (Ito, Eds. 2005), Figure 1
illustrates the hyper-raise of mobile communication in the last decade. To make a brief about
mobile phone usage in Japan, the following figures provide a glimpse of the trend and issues. In
2004, 88.1% of household used the internet (Figure 2). During the same period, mobile phones
were used by 91.1% of households, while household ownership of personal computers was
77.5% (Figure 3). Yet, the ratio of mobile phone users increased in all generations. The ratio of
users who was the age from teenagers to 60s was relatively higher than others, children and old
people (Figure 4).
Figure 1: Status of Diffusion of Mobile Phones
Asia Culture Forum 2006 /
Asian Youth Culture Camp "Doing Cultural Spaces in Asia"
Session 8 “Globalization of Communication and Culture”
3
(Source: MPHPT 2004)
Figure 2: Total Internet User Population and Internet Diffusion Rate
Asia Culture Forum 2006 /
Asian Youth Culture Camp "Doing Cultural Spaces in Asia"
Session 8 “Globalization of Communication and Culture”