Research Report of Web Contents on Global Platforms
Including Smartphones Aimed at Children in Japan

Mar. 2021

Youth Content Research Society(Mobile Content Forum)Table of Contents
1. About the Youth Content Research Society
1-1. Purpose of establishment and operation policy
1-2. Scope of activities in this project
2. Current state of youth protection systems in Japan
2-1. iOS Screen Time2-2. Android Family Link
2-3. Filtering offered by mobile phone carriers
3. Recommendation List selection
3-1. Selection criteria
3-2. Website check items and basic concepts
Site check items
4. Recommendation List
4-1. Recommendation List (Survey period: Mar. to Sep. 2020)
4-2. Evaluation of individual sites in the Recommendation List
5. Comments on children's sites in Japan5-1. Significance of selection for the Recommendation List
5-2. Challenges for Japan’s websites
5-3. Expectations of Japan’s websites
Appendix
Examples of overseas approaches: CSM ratings in the U.S.
Common Sense Media (CSM)
Overview of CSM ratings
Choosing the right websites for children
Pursuing digital well-being for parents and children
School education
The concept of GIGA Schools
Programming education
Youth protection measures in Japan and the internet use environment development law
Overview of youth protection measures in Japan
Filtering
Challenges in filtering and countermeasures
The Act on Development of an Internet Environment for Young People
The enactment of the Environment Development Act
The changing Internet use environment and the amendment of the Environment Development Act
Challenges to the Environment Development Act
Youth Content Research Society members and secretariat establishment
Members and secretariat
Brief history of Youth Content Research Society members
Held meetings of the Research Society

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1. About the Youth Content Research Society
1-1. Purpose of establishment and operation policy
In our increasingly IT-centric society, the use of global standard smartphones and other electronic devices
is becoming more and more widespread. These electronic devices account for a high percentage of thedelivery of the content services that young people use on a daily basis. Given this, it is becoming a
prerequisite to use the global standard system attached to OSs, which are global platforms, for filtering andother youth protection systems. These factors have moved us to establish this research society to carry out
activities to contribute to the sound development of youth in Japan.
The effective use of global standard technology is crucial to expanding the future potential of ourchildren. At the same time, for young people to develop soundly, they need to be exposed to diverse
content suitable for their age while being protected from illegal and harmful content so they can grow inknowledge and develop in sensitivity through Japan’s complex and unique culture. From the standpoint of
this belief and based on universal global platforms, the Youth Content Research Society will engage inactivities to create a universal scheme that reflects individual cultures. Instead of defining detailed rules, wewill consider specific activities based on the principles we have clarified that constitute the grounds
therefor.

1-2. Scope of activities in this project
As the scope of activities in this project, our aim was to select websites for a Recommendation List thatsuit Japan's culture and usage circumstances based on the premise of use of the Allowed Websites Only
option under Screen Time, which is an iOS function for youth protection, or other equivalent systems. (Thelist currently contains child-oriented websites used in English-speaking areas around the world.)
The Recommendation List that we offer in this project is intended for children who are new tosmartphones and who do not yet have sufficient IT literacy. We hope that this will ultimately help them togain the competence to freely expand their fields of activity by proactively utilizing content independently
and responsibly while utilizing the optimal filtering function according to their age.

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2. Current state of youth protection systems in JapanThe following systems are basically provided by OS and mobile phone operators as youth protection
systems for global standard smartphones and other devices.

2-1. iOS Screen Time
Screen Time is an iOS feature that lets you see how you spend your time on your iPhone, iPad, andiPod touch, as well as set up limits on content, privacy, and more. It can also be used as a parental
control by setting a Screen Time passcode. Screen Time allows parents to set downtime, or time
during which their children do not use the device, as well as the length of time that specific apps areopen, how long their children spend on the phone talking with individual contacts, and content
restriction features that limit apps and charges based on ratings and that limit inappropriate web
content.
▼ Web content limits are divided into the following three categories.
• Unrestricted Access• Limit Adult Websites• Allowed Websites Only
In addition to Screen Time, iOS also offers Family Sharing, which lets parents set up family
accounts and see and set the screen time of their family members right from their own devices. Family
Sharing also alerts parents when their children attempt to download apps from the App Store so thatthey can approve or decline the download.

2-2. Android Family Link
Family Link, which is a parental control for Android devices, allows parents to control theirchildren's use of devices from their own devices. With this function, parents can set the span of time
during which their children are allowed to use the device and also control how they use apps byreceiving alerts when their children attempt to make purchases from apps or download apps from theGoogle Play Store so they can approve or decline the purchase/download. This feature also allows
parents to check the location of their children.

2-3. Filtering offered by mobile phone carriers
The Act on Development of an Environment that Provides Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young
People requires young people to employ filtering when using the Internet on mobile phones inprinciple. In response to this act, mobile phone companies provide filtering services.
Mobile phone carriers offer smartphone filtering services through a dedicated app called Anshin
Filter (anshin means “safety” in Japanese). The Android version consists of a dedicated web browser
and app blocking features that block inappropriate content from being downloaded or viewed. The
iPhone offers only a dedicated web browser that blocks the viewing of inappropriate websites. For app
restriction, it utilizes Screen Time, which is equipped in iOS.
Further, the services offered vary depending on the mobile phone carrier, and a function to set theuse time for an app is equipped as part of the filtering function while a service to perform filtering in
response to accessed URLs is provided on cellular phone lines.
*MVNO and Rakuten Mobile have some differences in name and function.
*As other measures, security vendors and other parties also offer filtering apps.

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3. Recommendation List selection
First, to select sites for the Recommendation List, we analyzed the global standard list for iOS Screen
Time use and created a list of children’s sites to be the candidates for Japan’s Recommendation List. We
moved forward with the creation of the candidate list with consideration for covering the categories
included in the global standard list.
Table 1: Global standard list with Allowed Websites Only under iOS Screen Time
WebsiteArea

URL

Description

1.Apple---Start

Deviceinformationwww.apple.com

2.Cbeebies(by BBC)Media

https://global.cbeebies.
com/

A BBC channel for children aged six
and under.

3.Discovery Kids

Media
(Minority)

https://www.discovery
kidsplus.com/

A Spanish video channel for children.
(Videos not viewable on the website.
YouTube channel available.)

4.DisneyEntertainment

https://www.disney.co.
jp/

Disney's website.

5.HowStuffWorks

Educational

https://www.howstuff
works.com/

Offers simple descriptions of various
things, events, and phenomena of all
types with illustrations and photos.

6.National Geographic Educational- Kidshttps://kids.nationalgeo National Geographic for children.
The content includes videos andgraphic.com/
games.

7.PBS Kids

Media
(Public
broadcasting)https://pbskids.org/

PBS Kids is the website of the major
American educational media brandthat presents programs such as
Sesame Street. The content includes
videos, games, and apps.

8.Scholastic.com

Books

http://scholastic.asia/

A website that introduces and sells
children’s books. (Scholastic
publishes and sells general andeducational books for children
through book clubs, book fairs, andschools.)

9.Smithsonian
Institution

Educational(Museum)https://www.si.edu/

The website of the Smithsonian
Institution.

10.Time for Kids

Media
(Private
broadcasting)https://www.timeforki
ds.com/Time Magazine’s website forchildren. (Also offers weekly
magazines for elementary school
children.)3

Next, we analyzed the candidate list inductively. Informed by hearings of parties such as OS operators,
the expertise of members of the Youth Content Research Society, and research results in associated fields,
we formulated standards to serve as the principles for Recommendation List selection and created achecklist to evaluate individual websites. In creating the checklist, we referred to the approach of American
Common Sense Media1 and sought to clarify the basic way of thinking to serve as a guiding principle.
In the end, we evaluated the candidate websites using the checklist to create the Recommendation List forchildren in Japan to suit the selection criteria.

3-1. Selection criteria●●●●

The site must be fair and sustainable.
The site must not pose risks when used by children, and it must contribute to their sound growth.
The site must have prospects for many users.
The site must be able to help parents and their children select websites to view.

3-2. Website check items and basic concepts
Site check items
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Operating entity
Website management condition
Users
Parent-child whitelist selection
Consideration for diverse values
Consideration for age, ability, and development
Consideration for learning
Consideration for child rights and human rights
Consideration for the sound growth and development of children
a. Pleasure and joyb. Health impact
c. Crime and violenced. Fear and danger
e. Sexual expressions
f. Commercialism
g. Communication

Operating entity
From the evergreen perspective, check if the entity is sufficient in stability, reliability, and performance as
an operator. Confirm that the operator, as an organization, is not engaged in business that does not conformto laws and social customs. It is a risk factor if the entity has corporate policies or business practices that
can adversely affect children. On the other hand, it is desirable for the operating entity to define social
contributions as part of the organization’s purpose and to have philosophy and values that children should
learn from.
Website management condition
Check that the site is updated and managed appropriately. Check that there are no broken links and that thecontent is up to date. Also check conformity with the latest security policies, such as https procedures. It is
desirable for the site to have interesting page design and content to engage children and make them want to
use the site.

For more information on the approach of Common Sense Media, see “6. Examples of overseas approaches:
CSM ratings in the U.S.” in the Appendix.
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UsersCheck that the site is widely known and commonly used by many users as a children’s site. It is desirable
for the content to combine learning and entertainment in a way that makes the site enjoyable for children touse. In addition, as a specific check method, check whether the site is listed in the top search engine results
by general keywords or in the results of social services.
Parent-child whitelist selection
Check that, in a scenario where parents and children are making whitelist selections of typical children’ssites together, this site will seem similar to such sites or will remind them of such sites.
It is desirable for the site to meet the needs of both parents and children.
Consideration for diverse values
Check that children can learn a wide variety of values and knowledge from various people, countries,
histories, and cultures, and develop the abilities to embrace diversity and think together and coexist as well
as respect and empathy for others and other such values.
It is a negative factor if the content or composition is biased toward specific values or knowledge and does
not account for diversity, which fosters respect and empathy for others. It is desirable for the site to offer awide variety of values and knowledge and to take into account diversity, which fosters respect and empathy
for others.
Consideration for age, ability, and development
Check that appropriate consideration is given to children’s language ability and cognitive development—
for example, their age and grade—and that the content and structure are easy for them to understand. It is anegative factor if the given content or structure is difficult for children to understand and therefore does notinspire interest or catch attention, due to a lack of consideration for their age, language ability, or cognitive
development. It is desirable for the site to foster interest, emotional investment, and curiosity in children
and to promote healthy physical and emotional development.
Consideration for learning
Check that the content is suitable for children (students) to learn and that it contributes to their sounddevelopment. It is desirable for the content to contribute to school education or to raise or expand children's
fields of interest or emotional investment.
Consideration for child rights and human rights
Check that the content is intended to serve the best interests of children and that it does not constitutediscrimination, exploitation, etc., and consider rights including privacy (whether it obtains unnecessary
cookies or personal information, etc.).

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Consideration for sound growth and development of children[1] Pleasure and joy
Check that the site brings pleasure and joy to children's lives for their sound development. It is desirable forthe content of pages intended to enhance creativity and thinking ability in children to be entertaining so as
to motivate children to learn and thereby live happier lives.
[2] Health impact
Check whether the site includes information that could have an adverse effect on the health of children (e.g.
drinking, smoking, drugs) or is designed to entice them to spend a lot of time online. It is a risk factor if thesite includes information that could have an adverse effect on the health of children. It is desirable for thesite to include content that promotes the health of children while giving due consideration to their mental
and physical health and safety.
[3] Crime and violence
Check if the site includes expressions of crime and violence from the perspective of children. It is a risk
factor if the site includes expressions related to crime and violence that are socially unacceptable or, evento the extent permitted, inappropriate for children. It is desirable for the site to use positive ideas andeducational perspectives for any expressions related to crime and violence.
[4] Fear and danger
Check if the site includes expressions as to fear and danger from the perspective of children. It is a risk
factor if the site includes expressions related to fear and danger that are socially unacceptable or, even to
the extent permitted, inappropriate for children. It is desirable for the site to use positive ideas andeducational perspectives for any expressions related to fear or danger.
[5] Sexual expressions
Check whether the site includes sexual expressions that are inappropriate for children. It is a risk factor if
the site includes sexual expressions that are socially unacceptable or, even to the extent permitted,
inappropriate for children. It is desirable for the site to use positive ideas and educational perspectives forany sexual expressions.
[6] Commercialism
Consider that the site should not stimulate the desire in children to purchase certain goods or services orfoster an excessive sense of familiarity. It is desirable for the site to include suggestions that help parents
and children select good content or information that demonstrates contributing to society.
[7] Communication
Check that the content and arrangements contribute to the effective use of online communication bychildren. It is a risk factor if the site allows communication with many unspecified people. It is desirable
for the site to include content and arrangements that help young people in online communication (e.g.
education and awareness content, communication with limited access depending on the respective
development stages of young users).

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4. Recommendation List
4-1. Recommendation List (Survey period: Mar. to Sep. 2020)
We selected websites for a Recommendation List that suit Japan's culture and usage circumstances basedon the premise of use of the Allowed Websites Only option of iOS Screen Time or other equivalentsystems.

Table 2: Recommendation List
Website2
3

Area

Operating entity

URL

1.NHK for School

Media (Programs forschoolchildren)

NHKhttps://www.nhk.or.jp/
school/2. Yahoo! Kids

General web portal

Yahoohttps://kids.yahoo.co.jp/

3. Kids@nifty

General web portal

nifty

https://kids.nifty.com/

4.YouTube Kids

Entertainment

Googlehttps://www.youtubeki
ds.com/5. Gakken Kids Net

Education(Company)

ONE PUBLISHING

https://kids.gakken.co.jp/

6. Disney Kids

Entertainment

Disneyhttps://kids.disney.co.jp/

7. Device information
websiteDevice information

OS and mobile phone
operators, terminal
device manufacturers(For iOS)https://www.apple.com/jp/

8. National Museum of
Nature and Science

Educational(Museum)

National Museum of
Nature and Science

https://www.kahaku.go.jp/

9.Scratch

Programming
education

MIT2

https://scratch.mit.edu/

10. International Libraryof Children's Literature,
National Diet Library

Educational(libraries)

National Diet Library,Japan

https://www.kodomo.g
o.jp/

11. The U-Tunes3
website for kids by theInstitute of Space andAstronautical Science

Educational

JAXA

https://www.kids.isas.j
axa.jp/Abbreviation for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Japanese nickname meaning friends who are interested in space74-2. Evaluation of individual sites in the Recommendation List
This section evaluates the reasons for selection, what to know before use, challenges, and otherinformation on the sites adopted as the Recommendation List.
Table 3. Evaluation of individual sites in the Recommendation List
WebsiteEvaluation

1.NHK for School

The operating entity and its operation are stable. The site allows children to learn
in their own right according to their own interests and emotional investment, andoffers content that is very rich in quality and quantity. For usability reasons, it isalso possible to search by subject, grade, content, and other conditions. The site
also tries to broaden the range of its usage. For example, its playlist function
allows users to share programs and video clips with others. As NHK is a publicbroadcaster, the site provides information considering that it will be consumed
by children, foreigners, the elderly, and other minorities, and also delivers richcontent related to social issues. Due to the URL structure, be aware thatbrowsing this website will also enable you to view nhk.or.jp.

2. Yahoo! Kids

As a general web portal for children, this site organizes a wide range of content.
It is rich in learning content, including subject learning and programming, as
well as links to other entertainment content by other companies that is popularwith children. There are considerations to ensure safe and secure Internet usage
by children. The site is also equipped with a search engine that can eliminate
harmful information, and it provides rich information on online literacy andawareness so that parents and children can enjoy the Internet with peace ofmind.

3. Kids@nifty

As a typical Japanese general web portal for children, this site provides up-todate and diverse information in response to the curiosity and interests ofchildren, including educational content and entertainment information. Its
content is unique, positive, and fun, and much of it focuses on children’s lives inJapan, their sense of values, and culture. Its interactive pages and consultation
sections that use the autonomous and interactive features of the Internet are also
popular. Children can use the site safely and securely by themselves because it
has few links or collaborations with other commercial sites. On the other hand,
its posting rules are not intended for use by children. Hopefully, further efforts
will be made to allow children to read and understand applicable laws and rules
for themselves.

4.You Tube Kids

This site maintains its own unique safety measures to allow families to enjoy
abundant educational and entertainment videos with peace of mind. It iscommendable that it has implemented parental control functions, for not only
selection of posts, for example, but also setting the age of child viewers toeliminate the risk of viewing harmful information. It is also designed to allow
parents to check their children's viewing history and control (report) any video.
Considering that children will have more opportunities to view posted videos as
they grow up, this site is suitable as an initial stage because it features a video
lineup that fosters imagination and creativity in children.
However, since there are no restrictions on individual video content, it is notpossible to eliminate 100% of images and words that are inappropriate forchildren even if parental control is used, so it is desirable for small children to
watch videos together with their parents.

5. Gakken Kids Net

This site has an abundance of content for children. One unique feature is its
emphasis on connections with the real world, such as various plant tours and job

8information that show the diversity of industries in Japan. Although there arecommercial elements, it is commendable that the site does not directly solicit
viewers to purchase its own products and services, but rather allows companies
and industries to demonstrate their appeal as a form of CSR.
6. Disney Kids

Children can have a lot of fun with this site, which is full of Disney stories,
character videos, and games that children can enjoy with a great deal of interest
and emotional investment. On the other hand, parents need to be wary ofcommercialism as the site consists entirely of Disney content and includes
Disney ads for pay-TV services.

7. Deviceinformation website

This site provides the required information on the devices used by children.

8. National Museumof Nature andScience

In comparison with the websites of other museums in Japan, this site is rich in
VR content and other content that fosters interest in science and in the museum.
Keep in mind that there is not necessarily much content for children, and it isdifficult to say that just looking at the site will inspire interest in children. Also,
the site uses Flash, necessitating technological updates.

9.Scratch

Programming is a field of great interest not only for children but also for parents,
and Japanese elementary schools began to teach it in 2020. Scratch is a learning
site that uses a visual programming language to learn. In addition to this primaryfunction, it also thoroughly maintains tutorials, parental messaging, and custom
guidelines and filtering. The site is designed to allow users to share projects,
which benefits children by giving them higher motivation. Projects are posted
worldwide, and English is the main language.

10. International
Library of Children's
Literature, National
Diet Library

As a national library specialized in children's books, this site presents the latest
news and events related to children and books in Japan and overseas. While thehomepage is intended for adults and families, the children's content links directly
to the Kids' Page of the National Diet Library, where children can enjoy learning
about library knowledge and culture, and use the Children's OPAC to findchildren's books that interest them.
On the other hand, the site’s creative and interactive communication activities
are limited because there is little variation in content for children, and thestructure and arrangement are simple and lack elements of entertainment.
Children can use the site safely and securely alone, but it is expected thatchildren who use the site together with their parents can learn more deeply anddiscover new things.

11. The U-Tunes
website for kids by
the Institute of Spaceand Astronautical
Science

It is great that the site is designed to draw children’s attention with content about
the universe, including paper crafts and interviews with JAXA workers. Keep inmind that much of the content is still image and text-based, and that functions
such as moving images and interactivity are not utilized as online content, whichmakes the site somewhat less attractive.

95. Comments on children's sites in Japan5-1. Significance of selection for the Recommendation List
It is significant to select sites that are safe for children who are growing up in a digital environment
where the use of technology is a standard prerequisite. In this project, the list was created from theperspective of allowing parents and children to select sites that can be used by younger children inparticular. The criteria for selecting such sites are described in another chapter. This section describes our
findings during the course of this project as we selected the sites from the viewpoint of helping children in
Japan.

5-2. Challenges for Japan’s websites(1) It cannot be said that all children’s sites are rich.
While some sites are rich in both quality and quantity for children, there is a big gap with other sites.
For example, even when children’s sites are available, they may not be very enthusiastic about enrichment.
The following trends are observed with these sites. Websites operated by public institutions are particularly
susceptible to this, which is regrettable from the viewpoint of deepening children’s understanding of theiroperations.
[1] Sparse information
It is not unusual for only some of the information contained in the original site to be set apart for use
by children. We understand that it is certainly difficult to determine how much information to provide
for children, but if a site has little information, you cannot expect children to visit repeatedly.
[2] Not arranged for children
For example, some operators create a site for children with some information set apart by simply
transferring the original text and/or adding furigana (a Japanese pronunciation guide). While we believethat such considerations can at least help children to understand the content, it is hard to say that suchsites are conscious of how they can inspire interest in children, and although they have made efforts to
prepare a site for children, they probably cannot have high hopes for children to visit.
[3] Not up to date
There are also some examples of sites that were created for children but are not updated frequently
enough. The advantage of the Internet is that the latest information is always available, so if a site is not
updated, it is hard to say that it is utilizing this advantage. Also, if a site is not updated, only one visit
will suffice and you cannot expect children to visit repeatedly.
(2) Not many sites offer content that will inspire children to take interest in Japan’s culture, history, ortraditions. Since the Recommendation List collects sites intended for children in Japan, it is desirable for it
to include sites that can teach them about the country’s culture, history, and traditions, but unfortunately,such sites are scarce.
In particular, museums should consider actively communicating the value of their collections. For thesake of preserving cultural heritage, it will be important to have more children who are interested in such
cultural information online.
(3) There are few sites where children can enjoy themselves with peace of mind.
Despite Japan’s global reputation for entertainment, it has few sites that offer children safe access to thecountry’s entertainment content. As mentioned in (1) above, one of the reasons for this may be that little
effort seems to have been put into creating content for children, but even when great efforts have been
made, some sites have other problems, including a great deal of commercialism in the form of solicitation
for goods or services. Such sites cannot be considered safe for children, whose judgment is not yet very
mature. We understand that a certain degree of commercialism will accompany content provided bycompanies and other organizations, but careful consideration is required when targeting children incommercials.
Given the growing oligopoly of information online and the fact that a small number of large platforms
are providing information on their own global standards, it is necessary to pay more attention to how
Japan’s unique content reaches its children.

105-3. Expectations of Japan’s websites
With the spread of the Internet, it has become easier not only to receive but to send out various types of
information, so surely it is possible for Japan to actively send out its own unique content to the world. From
this perspective, Japanese sites regrettably seem to lack a conscious point of view on the provision of
information. This is also true with children’s sites, which are scarce. This may be because they do not seemconscious of who their target viewers are or how to deliver information in a manner that attracts them.
In particular, considering that it is children who will be responsible for the culture and society of the
future, providing information to children should be a very important issue. On the other hand, there is therisk of losing cultural diversity due to the globalization of information through the Internet. That is why it isimportant to effectively provide information that conveys the unique culture of Japan to children and to theworld.
We hope that we will be able to qualify more sites from this perspective in the next selection.

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Appendix

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Examples of overseas approaches: CSM ratings in the U.S.
In creating the Recommendation List in Chapter 4 of this report, we referred to the results of research andsurveys conducted by Common Sense Media in the United States and their system of rating scales in orderto clarify the principles that constitute the grounds wherever possible. In this chapter, we will report on theoutline and characteristics of their ratings system, and discuss in detail what to keep in mind with regard tochildren’s media and the ideal of information provision to parents and children.

Common Sense Media (CSM)4
Founded in 2003, the American non-profit organization5 Common Sense Media (headquartered in San
Francisco) publishes a wide range of scientific and research-based information on children’s issues inrelation to the media, and carries out aggressive campaigns and actions that have a social impact not only
on families and schools but also on Congress, the business community, the media, and more. In particular,
it emphasizes the importance of the digital well-being of children and conducts programs and proposals thattake into consideration the human rights of children, such as diversity, equality, and social inclusion. The
organization includes Common Sense Media, which rates media for children; Common Sense Education,
which develops and offers digital K-12 learning materials; and Common Sense Kids Action, which is an
advocacy platform. It also conducts its own unique research, surveys, and programs that aim to create ahealthy media environment for children.

Overview of CSM ratings
Common Sense Media has its own unique ratings system for all media intended for children. The CSM
ratings and reviews by experts in various areas are all free, and the criteria used are strictly independent,with no influence by any particular company, creator, or investor. The ratings are based on all available
evidence on children and the media (e.g. development, learning, technology) and they are primarily
intended to provide trustworthy information about what media and content parents should choose for theirchildren.
• All of this is supported by the following underlying basic beliefs.
• Ratings are not intended to censor the media but to pursue healthy media for children.
• In the sense that media has a major impact on the social, emotional, cognitive, and physicaldevelopment of children, media can be considered another parent.
• We want children to respect the feelings of others and become responsible and informed media users.
• Parents should have an opinion on and the right to choose the media with which their children interact.
• Parents need to know about the media that their children interact with and also teach them how to act
responsibly in addition to controlling the length of interaction time.
The ratings are broken down by age and media and are rated with five stars (star rating criteria). It also
has thematic and skill categories to provide detailed and easily comprehensible information tailored to theneeds of parents and the development of children.

Common Sense Media’s website: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
James, P. Steyer, Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age,
Scribner,
4

5

An organization that is equivalent to a Japanese NPO and that holds 501(c)(3) qualifications under the Internal
Revenue Code of the United States.

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Table 4: CSM ratings criterion and category framework[Rating by age]
• Age 0–2
• Age 2–4
• Age 5–7
• Age 8–9
• Age 10–12• Age 13–14• Age 15–17[Category by media]• Apps• Books• Books• Games• Movies• Music• Television• Websites[Star rating criteria]• 5 stars: The best!
• 4 stars: Really good
• 3 stars: Just fine; solid• 2 stars: Disappointing• 1 star: Don’t bother[Category by theme]• Language/reading: Reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking in English/otherlanguages• Mathematics: Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculations• Science: Physics, astronomy, geology, chemistry, biology• Social studies: History, geography, politics• Art: Visual art, dance, theater, music, film
• Hobbies: A pursuit that a person is engaged in depending on personal interest and enthusiasm[Category by skill]• Ability to think and reason (logic, means, problem solving, critical and analytical thinking)• Creativity (the ability to create inventive solutions or new things, innovation)• Self-management (motivation, initiative, effort, personal growth, learning creation)• Emotional development (self-awareness, stress management, resilience, empathy, perspectives)• Communication (ability to communicate information effectively in a variety of ways)• Collaboration (teamwork, breadth of vision, cooperation, the ability to work with others to take onchallenges)• Responsibility and ethics (integrity, respect, the ability to embrace diversity and to learn fromresults)• Tech skills (digital creation, evaluating media, using and applying technology)• Health & fitness (movement, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, physical and mental health)14

Choosing the right websites for children
The CSM ratings are not simple age-specific ratings, but are distinguished by recognizable characteristics
that allow parents to freely choose the ratings system according to their children's development, their own
educational policies and values, and their children's interests and temperaments. Below are eight tips forchoosing the right websites for children.
[1] Target age
While some sites, like PBS Kids, have a clear target age, this is not clear for most sites. For
example, social media like Facebook and Twitter are not supposed to be used by a 15-year-old child,
but in reality they are used by children aged 13 and older.
[2] Quality
Is the page design attractive even to children who are familiar with digital technology? Is the site
designed to offer good usability? Is it designed to be intuitively easy and simple for even smallchildren? Is it free of ads and adult content? Does it include ad-free pages for small children? Is it
trustworthy? (For example, NASA’s children’s site is more trustworthy than the blogs of strangers.)[3] Educational value
This is the most important factor in finding the right sites for your children. An even better factor
would be edutainment, a combination of entertainment and education. We recommend websites that
not only teach math, reading, and other such traditional study subjects, but also allow the expansionof learning capabilities, such as learning creativity and collaboration, the so-called “21st-century
skills.”[4] Messages and role models
The impact of media messages on children is very profound, so you should choose websites thatreflect the ideas and values that you want your children to learn (the smaller the child, the more
susceptible they are to media). It is also important to ensure representation of role models who aresuitable for children’s growth, for example, people or characters that parents want their children tolearn from.
[5] Violent or sexual expressions and word choice
While YouTube has a lot of harmless content for preschoolers, it also has many videos of movie
scenes that are sexually explicit, obscene, or unclean, and videos of unpleasant situations. Common
Sense Media offers professional guidelines that set a standard of expression (violence, sexual
expressions, and word choice) for children of all ages, allowing parents to choose those that best suit
their children based on their values.
[6] Consumerism
While websites purport to offer everything free of charge, some have links to online shops that sell
associated goods. In other cases, the identity of the site is actually a front-line site for marketing or
merchandise sales, or the site may use friendly subscription business tactics to motivate children to
make purchases. Talking with children about this issue is very important and it helps them develop
media literacy skills.
[7] Alcohol, drugs, and smoking
Many teens easily post photos of themselves engaging in drinking, smoking, drugs, or other illegal
activities.
[8] Privacy and safety
COPPA is a law to protect the personal information of children under 13 years old. However, it isdifficult to know whether a site collects the personal information of children or adults, and so the key
is to know how the collected information is used. Is information diverted from the site and sold tomarketers? Is it possible to delete personal information from the site’s records? Is the site interactive?
Is detailed location information not collected? When choosing the right site for children, it is also
helpful to check user reviews.

15

Also, CSM’s ratings by age are a great help in choosing the right websites for children. The agespecific features and age-appropriate content are scientifically analyzed and examined for each ofseven stages: ages 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 5 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 12, 13 to 14, and 15 to 17. The developmental
characteristics of children, rational considerations, advice to families, and other factors are also
introduced in detail.
[Age-specific features] [1] Cognitive development[2] Social and emotional development[3] Physical development[4] Technical/Digital literacy[Age-appropriate content][1] Educational value[2] Positive models & messages[3] Violent expressions[4] Fearful expressions[5] Sexual expressions[6] Word choice[7] Commercial messages (consumerism & commercialism)[8] Risks and problematic behavior

Pursuing digital well-being for parents and children
In his book “Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age,”
attorney and Common Sense Media founder Jim Steyer argues that parents should be more involved intheir children’s Internet use. He rings alarm bells for the children of today, who spend more time withmedia and technology than with their family or in school, putting them at risk in three areas: [1]Relationships, [2] Attention and Addiction, and [3] Privacy. In order to protect children from such dangers,
it is important for parents to learn about IT and become role models, Steyer says, stressing the importanceof providing scientific and objective information to families.
In creating the Recommendation List in this project, we proceeded with consideration for selection
criteria that emphasize the digital well-being of parents and children with reference to these basic beliefs of
CSM and their ratings scales based on scientific research and survey results. We also selected sites that
contribute to improving the empowerment and literacy of the parents and children of Japan by focusing not
only on risks to children, but also on the sound physical and mental development of children and fostering
their ability to learn. We hope that many parents and children will make use of this unique
Recommendation List for Japan that meets our local needs from a global perspective.
Fumiko Inomata (Ochanomizu University)16

School education
The concept of GIGA Schools
According to Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the concept of
GIGA Schools is to achieve learning that fosters creativity that is appropriate for children living in the eraof Society 5.0 through optimization that suits each and every child fairly, without leaving anyone out, by
managing ICT environments, for example, providing all children at a school with one device per person.
Herein, GIGA stands for “Global and Innovation Gateway for All,” and it can be interpreted to mean global
and innovative provision (of education) to everyone.
Specifically, the intent is not for classes in school curricula to be taught entirely using ICT only, butrather to further enhance learning activities by combining cutting-edge ICT with knowledge accumulated
through Japan’s long history of educational practice, with the aim of maximizing the abilities of children.
The background behind the concept of GIGA Schools is composed of diverse factors. It started from
economic measures after a consumption tax increase, and the need for schools to offer online classes due tothe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan was also ranked at the bottom of a list of OECD member
countries in terms of the frequency of ICT utilization in school curricula (specifically, the lowest in the
category of “Using computers to collaborate with other students”), and there are noticeable differences inthe development of ICT environments among municipalities in Japan.
Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has put forth a policy based on
the installation of educational computers for each student. It also includes, for example, interactive classes
based on the responses of each child, individualized learning in accordance with individual educational
needs and learning situations, and collaborative learning in which individual children can immediately
share their own ideas and come into contact with diverse opinions. It will also promote the introduction ofdigital textbooks for learners. According to the latest information at the time of writing (December 22,2020), about 60% of schools from the fifth grade of elementary school to the third grade of junior highschool nationwide will introduce digital learning textbooks in the unit of one subject, and the budget has
been decided.
Lastly, teacher training is one of the future challenges in this area. The government guidelines foreducation position the ability to utilize information, which is deeply related to the concept of GIGA
Schools, as the basis of learning. Therefore, every teacher primarily needs to have a correct understanding
and conception of the ability to utilize information. They also need to be convinced that these things areimportant. It is also required to implement step-based teacher training whenever required. For example,
teachers can try to use ICT for themselves, then apply it to a class with a scenario set for use by students,
and then ultimately improve the class with so-called “study logs” or other such means.

Programming education
Programming education has been attracting attention in recent years. The term often refers to elementary
school programming education, which has become a new required subject. Junior high school, on the other
hand, has doubled the amount that students learn about programming in their industrial arts and home
economics (technology) classes. Specifically, the curriculum is centered on two courses: programming of
bidirectional content with the use of networks, plus measurement/control programming. In high schools,
the current subjects of Social Studies and Information & Information Science will be reorganized into one
common required subject called “Information I,” which students will use to pursue the scientificunderstanding of information. All high school students are to learn about programming, irrespective ofwhether they select a humanities or science course. This series of educational measures and curricula on
information science are referred to as programming education. Among these educational measures andcurricula, the background behind programming education specifically in elementary school, where it has
newly been made compulsory, is considered as follows.
If you look around, we are surrounded by many computers (that are incorporated into devices orelectrical appliances) in our daily lives. The ability to understand and effectively use computers is an
essential one for children, who will shape the future world and live in it. Also, the world population isgoing to increase rapidly as Japan’s population rapidly decreases. This is a world that not a single adult has
ever experienced. In a new world like this, people will encounter and need to deal with problems that are17

far outside our current prediction ability. Computer usage and other aspects of information science willundoubtedly become more important than ever.
To use computers effectively and appropriately, it is indispensable to understand how they work, but thisdoes not mean understanding things like the detailed mechanisms of operating systems. Rather, it isimportant to understand basic things, for example, that a computer does not run unless somebody gives it
instructions, which are called a “program,” and that “programming” refers to working out a sequence ofsuch instructions. And above all, it is important for children to actually experience these things. Given this,in Japan and overseas, programming education is now being introduced from the compulsory education
stage while embracing STEM disciplines and the changing trends of computer science.
As for the aim of elementary school programming education in Japan, the government guidelines foreducation serve as the standard for formulating curriculums, and they position the ability to utilize
information that involves programming-like thinking (to be described later), which is the primary goal ofprogramming education, as the quality and ability serving as the basis of learning that should be developed
across subjects. This clarifies that programming education is an educational activity that should be carriedout by a school as a whole, not by a specific subject or area or by some teachers.
Also, the guidebook for elementary school programming education (third edition) divides the aim ofelementary school programming education into the following three broad categories.
1. Foster programming-like thinking.
2. Help students become aware of the functions and appeal of programming and the fact that our
information society is supported by computers and other information technologies. Also, foster anattitude of solving familiar problems and building a better society by skillfully utilizing computersand other devices.
3. If programming is used as part of other subjects or other school activities, ensure that the learningof that subject or that school activity is prioritized.
Programming-like thinking, which is set as the primary goal, can be defined as the ability to thinklogically based on the concept of programming. In order to realize the aim of programming education, it isnecessary to concretely grasp the specific abilities to foster through programming education and to
implement learning activities systematically.
At the same time, it should be noted that the commentary on the government guidelines for elementary
school education states that “The aim of programming as learned in the elementary school stage is not tolearn a programming language or programming skills.”
Yuki Kobayashi (Ibaraki University)

18Youth protection measures in Japan and the internet use environment
development law
Overview of youth protection measures in Japan
Even before the advent of smartphones, Internet use in Japan was widespread among young people under
18 years of age. According to a Cabinet Office survey conducted in March 2007, about 58% of elementary
school students, 69% of junior high school students, and 75% of high school students used the Internet
from a computer, and about 27% of elementary school students, 56% of junior high school students, and
96% of high school students used the Internet from a mobile phone.
It is thought that the Internet provides a platform for information that is undesirable for underdeveloped
young people to view, and given that some young people have been victimized through so-called “dating
websites” and other sites, the Act on Development of an Environment that Provides Safe and SecureInternet Use for Young People (Act No. 79 of 2008; hereinafter, “Act on Development of an Internet
Environment for Young People”) was enacted in June 2008 and took effect on April 1, 2009. Since then,the development of an Internet use environment for young people in Japan has been promoted with a focus
on the following.
1. Promoting the use of filtering to prevent young people from viewing harmful information
2. Educating young people and their parents to improve Internet literacy
3. Promoting measures to prevent problems, bullying, and crimes attributable to social media, etc.

Filtering
The Act on Development of an Internet Environment for Young People requires young people to employ
filtering when using the Internet on mobile phones in principle. Prior to the spread of smartphones, afiltering service for so-called “feature phones” was provided over the communication lines of mobile phonecompanies. According to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office in June 2010, the usage rate of filtering
services for mobile phones and PHS among young people was about 76% for elementary school students,
70% for junior high school students, and 50% for high school students, confirming a certain level of
popularization.
However, with the rapid spread of smartphones to young people, the usage rate of filtering by young
smartphone users is about 40% (44.0% in 2017 and 36.8% in 2018), which is lower than when featurephones were in use. While the filtering service for feature phones was controlled based on the URLs
accessed on the communication lines of mobile phone companies, in order to support the diverse Internet
usage offered by smartphones (diverse communication lines [cellular/Wi-Fi] and other means [web/apps]),the filtering service for smartphones provided by mobile phone companies takes the form of dedicatedapps.

Challenges in filtering and countermeasures
In order to apply the filtering provided by mobile phone companies, it is necessary to install andconfigure a dedicated app. However, the filtering available for use depends on the mobile phone company
and the OS of the smartphone, and parents may not have sufficient knowledge about filtering settings. For
these reasons, one factor in the decline in the use of filtering is cited as the difficulty that parents feel about
using it.
The filtering provided by mobile phone companies adopts a category classification system in which users
are required to set websites or apps into predetermined categories so that the permission or restriction on
use is set up for each category. The websites or apps that fall under the categories subject to restriction also
have a customization function that allows parents to individually set permissions or restrictions on use.
Again, however, parents may not have sufficient knowledge of filtering settings and may therefore believethat filtering could deactivate the services that they want to use. This is cited as a factor in the decline in theuse of filtering.
Specifically, as smartphones have spread, the use of social media has also become widespread among
young people, and some perceive filtering as something inconvenient that could deactivate social media.

19Given this, the development of an Internet use environment for young people in Japan has beenpromoted, focusing on the following as measures for filtering issues.
1. Creating a climate of awareness of the need for parental controls, including filtering
2. Improving the usability of filtering services

The Act on Development of an Internet Environment for Young People
The enactment of the Environment Development Act
The Act on Development of an Environment that Provides Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young
People, abbreviated as “Act on Development of an Internet Environment for Young People,” is an act
passed in 2008. It was enacted in the aim of preventing problems involving young people that could result
from contact with harmful information on the Internet, due to the high ownership rate of mobile phones
among young people at the time and also to the fact that it was extremely easy to access the Internet frommobile phones thanks to the spread of the use of the unique Japanese service i-mode.
Rather than the problem of the content itself, the risks to which young people are exposed online areassumed to be “content risk,” or the risk of exposure to adult violence and other harmful information, and“contact risk,” or the risk of inappropriate contact with adults through information that can lead to random
encounters on the Internet. When the act was passed, the latter risks in particular posed a problem, and eventhe use of online communication sites by young people itself was controversial.6 However, in view of thefact that it is an important advantage of the Internet to be able to communicate easily with others, it is not
appropriate to uniformly regulate children’s enjoyment of such advantages.
In response, the Environment Development Act was enacted based on the following basic principles: [1]young people gaining the ability to use the Internet appropriately, [2] minimizing their access to harmful
information, and [3] private-sector initiatives. More specifically, [1] considering that the propensity of
information to harm young people depends on the developmental stage of an individual child, it isimportant for young people to gain the ability to use the Internet appropriately for their stage of growth, and[2] it is not possible to uniformly define the extension of harmfulness due to the nature of information thatis harmful to young people, and it is not appropriate to restrict the provision thereof in light of freedom of
expression. Therefore, instead of restricting provision, restrictions should be imposed on the receiving side,
where the developmental stage of young people should be taken into consideration. [3] Similarly, fromviewpoints such as freedom of expression, it is not desirable for the national government to be directly
involved in the criteria for the selection of harmful information for young people, so voluntary efforts
should be centered on the private sector. As to [2], the use of filtering has been considered.
The enactment of the Environment Development Act was significant in that it clarified the policy inwhich the private sector takes the initiative for Internet use by young people and avoiding the risks
associated therewith.

The changing Internet use environment and the amendment of the Environment Development
Act
Using the Internet on computers often involves parental supervision, but parents are not able to supervise
the use of highly personal mobile phones. For this reason, the Environment Development Act mainly
targets the use of filtering for when young people access the Internet via mobile phones.
When young people would access the Internet via feature phones, filtering was provided through the
networks of mobile phone operators, making it easy to set up and use filtering, and the policy of theEnvironment Development Act functioned to a certain extent.
However, the rapid spread of smartphones among young people7 has caused the Internet use
environment and filtering functions to become complex, which has led to a decline in the rate of filtering
6

There was even support for the idea of not allowing children or young people to own mobile phones, letalone view specific sites (cf. the stipulation by Ishikawa Children's General Ordinance that parents must
make efforts not to allow elementary or junior high school aged children to have their own mobile phones).
7
In 2013, the usage rate of smartphones among teenagers exceeded that of feature phones. (See the
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ “Survey on the information and communications media
usage time and information behavior.”)20

usage, the core of the Environment Development Act. While smartphones have the same functionality as
computers, the Environment Development Act envisions Internet access from feature phones, as mentioned
earlier, so unfortunately, it did not support the rapid spread of smartphones.8 Regrettably, the Environment
Development Act was not substantially revised until 2018 despite the supplementary provision, which may
have considered the possibility of such future changes, that stipulated at the time of its enactment that thestatus of implementation should be reviewed within three years after its enactment, and that necessary
measures should be taken based on the results of the review.9

Challenges to the Environment Development Act(1) Amendment and other slow actions
Quick action is required because the Internet environment changes rapidly. It is not possible to takeappropriate actions by revising the Act ten years later. It is necessary to respond promptly, especiallybecause young people grow up quickly. Young people should be sufficiently protected, and they should not
be left to grow into unprotected adults due to delays in the actions of the relevant organizations.
Also, at the time of the amendment in 2018, a supplementary provision was given to the effect that after
three years, measures to prevent access to harmful information for young people would be reviewed andnecessary measures would be taken. This opportunity should be fully utilized.
(2) Appropriateness of basic principles[1] There is no doubt that it is important for young people to gain the ability to use the Internet
appropriately, and this does not depend on changes in the Internet environment.
However, [2] the minimization of young people’s access to harmful information is open to discussion.
The assumption here is restrictions on reception, but the essence of the Internet is interactive transmission;in other words, both reception and transmission constitute the core of Internet use. When the Environment
Development Act was enacted, Japan was focused on contact risks. Controls on reception alone are notsufficient to reduce these risks.10 As the technology to protect young people is changing, we should
reconsider appropriate measures for protecting young people in line with the nature of Internet use and thechanging environment.
There is also room for discussion on Basic Principle [3]: private-sector initiatives. At present, theInternet environment is in many cases provided by large-scale platform operators, which are supposed tomake decisions on the selection of information at their own discretion. However, such decisions are madeon a global criterion basis, and even if the laws and regulations of each country are considered, it is noteasy to consider the grade of acceptance in consideration of subtle cultural differences. Private-sector
initiatives have the advantage in reflecting diverse values. Given the existence of such large global social
media providers, how to reflect diverse values in youth protection is an issue that needs to be reconsidered.
Shino Uenuma (South Toranomon Law Offices)
Yoshihiko Fujikawa (Mobile Content Forum)

According to the “Survey of the Internet use environment for young people” published by the Cabinet
Office in 2018, the smartphone filtering usage rate among young people dropped to 36.8%.
9This amendment gave some consideration to the use of smartphones by young people.
10
In an environment where the filtering usage rate is high and communication sites are properly targeted
for filtering, it was possible to reduce risks on the premise of Basic Principle [2] of the Environment
Development Act. In the current situation, however, where the filtering usage rate is declining and theability to get information from social media is indispensable, we will not be able to reduce risks by taking
measures based on Basic Principle [2]. This is because it is difficult to place restrictions on the receptionfunction of social media sites.
821

Youth Content Research Society members and secretariat
establishment
Members and secretariat
Members
Shino Uenuma Attorney-at-Law, South Toranomon Law Offices
Fumiko Inomata Academic Assistant, Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu
University
Yuki Kobayashi Associate Professor, College of Education, Ibaraki University
Secretariat
Takamasa Kishihara, Mobile Content Forum; Managing Director, General Affairs Committee
Yoshihiko Fujikawa, Mobile Content Forum; Representative, Youth Content Research Society
Maki Koshiga, Mobile Content Forum; Secretariat
Mai Fujimoto, Mobile Content Forum; Secretariat

Brief history of Youth Content Research Society members
Shino Uenuma, Attorney-at-Law, South Toranomon Law Offices
http://www.s-tora.com/index.php?m=attorney&a=detail&id=18[Main job titles]
Executive Director, Internet Rating Observation Institute
Civil Conciliation Commissioner, Tokyo Summary Court
Member of the Task Force on Development of an Internet Environment for Young People, Cabinet
OfficeVisiting Associate Professor (Visiting Professor since 2015), Institute of Information Security
Lecturer (Criminal Defense), Legal Training and Research Institute, the Supreme Court of Japan
Member of the DRP Review Committee, Japan Network Information Center (JPNIC)
Board Member of the Content Evaluation and Monitoring Association (After 2016 Vice-Director)
Auditor, nonprofit organization CANVASWorking group member for the establishment of the Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerceand Information Property Trading, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Yuki Kobayashi, Associate Professor, College of Education, Ibaraki University
https://info.ibaraki.ac.jp/Profiles/28/0002757/profile.html[Education/research activities]
Utilizing ICT in class, organizing study groups, and giving guidance/advice on information moral
education.
Conducting research on the effective use of tablets, which are increasingly being adopted in schools.
Developing class courses and training for elementary school programming education.
Conducting research on class courses focused on teaching strategies for teachers and for the cultivationof communication skills.
[Main publications]
My First Book of Programming: For Parents and Children Before Starting Programming
Practical Teaching Training for Better Understanding of School Scenarios
Guidebook for Elementary School Programming Education Training
Education Methods and Techniques: Instructional Design for Independent, Interactive, and Deep
Learning
Using Tablet Devices in Classes
EMA Mobile Phone Internet Guidebook 4 (Consumer Edition), Learning Resource Package(References)
http://ema-edu.mcf.or.jp/_data/howtowalk04/4_tm.pdf

22Fumiko Inomata, Academic Assistant, Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu
University
http://www-w.cf.ocha.ac.jp/iehd/member/inomata/[Main research/activity fields]
Media literacy, children and media, and corporate CSR (Education)[Previous main social activities]
Collaborator, “Conference of research collaborators on measures against harmful environments
surrounding young people,” MEXT (2001–2003)
Member of the expert committee “Promotion of measures against harmful environments surrounding
young people: Survey and research on measures against Internet problems such as defamatory posts inonline forums,” MEXT (2007–2008)
Member of “Study group for video game ratings and social acceptance,” CERO (2007–2011)
Member of the advisory council “Promotion of measures against harmful environments surrounding
young people: Survey on the development and management of ordinances concerning measures against
harmful information surrounding youth in municipalities, etc.,” MEXT (2008–2009)
Council member, “Rating and filtering liaison council/study group (entrusted by the Internet
Association),” METI (2008–2012)
Standards formulation committee member, Content Evaluation and Monitoring Association (EMA)(2009–2018)
Executive committee member, “High School Student ICT Conference,” Japan Internet Safety
Promotion Association (2015–present)[Other job titles]
Researcher at Institute of Current Business Studies, Showa Women's University
Saitama family education advisor

Held meetings of the Research Society
1st Youth Content Research Society, Mar. 3, 2020
Topics:• Explaining the establishment of the Youth Content Research Society and its action plan
• Presentations from Research Society members• Discussion
2nd Youth Content Research Society, Mar. 27, 2020
Topics:• List of websites for children• Considerations
3rd Youth Content Research Society, Apr. 20, 2020
Topics:• Meeting report• List of websites for children• Selection policy• Checklist
4th Youth Content Research Society, May 19, 2020
Topics:• Meeting report• Vision for the Recommendation List
• Selection criteria• Checklist• Recommendation List candidates
5th Youth Content Research Society, Jun. 18, 202023

Topics:• Principles and concepts of checklist items• Vision for the Recommendation List
• Recommendation List candidates
6th Youth Content Research Society, Jul. 8, 2020
Topics:• Meeting report• Candidate site evaluation
7th Youth Content Research Society, Jul. 27, 2020
Topics:• Candidate sites
8th Youth Content Research Society, Aug. 11, 2020
Topics:• Candidate sites
9th Youth Content Research Society, Sep. 8, 2020
Topics:• Final plan of Recommendation List candidates• Table of contents of the report
10th Youth Content Research Society, Oct. 9, 2020
Topics:• Report (Selected sites)
11th Youth Content Research Society, Nov. 5, 2020
Topics:• Comments on points evaluated and points to note
12th Youth Content Research Society, Dec. 10, 2020
Topics:• Meeting report• Evaluation sheet by site
• General remarks• Report structure
13th Youth Content Research Society, Jan. 21, 2021
Topics:• Report structure
14th Youth Content Research Society, Feb. 19, 2021
Topics:• Checking the report draft
15th Youth Content Research Society, Mar. 19, 2021
Topics:• Report• Release ideas

24◆ Mobile Content Forum (MCF)
MCF is an industry group of companies involved in the mobile content distribution business, and it
was organized for the purpose of revitalizing the mobile content environment. Its mission is to buildsmooth relationships with consumers and related organizations and to support the activities of theindustry and its members in the aim of achieving mutual prosperity with society for the sounddevelopment of the mobile content industry. It is made up of 80 member companies (as of Mar. 2021),
mainly content providers.

Inquiries about this report■ Mobile Content Forum■ Contact person: Takamasa Kishihara, Mai Fujimoto, Maki Koshiga#603, Ito Bldg No. 3, 4-4-5, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 150-0013
Tel: 03-5449-6409 Fax: 03-6456-2956
E-mail:info@mcf.or.jp URL:https://www.mcf.or.jp/■ Phone hours: 10:00 to 18:00

25