strongly correlated factor was annual income. Among those with annual household incomes of ¥2 million or less, lower income was directly correlated with lower rate of Internet use.

## (2) The need for a universally inclusive social framework incorporating ICT

Increasingly prevalent “isolation” is a growing social issue in Japan, bringing new risks to our society. The segments of the population most often cited as susceptible to isolation are single-person households, elderly people living alone, and single-parent households. To combat increasing rates of isolation, we must build a society which excludes no-one from the network of mutual support $ ^{19} $ , in other words a “universally inclusive social framework.” The formation of networks through ICT is expected to play a key role in this effort.

## (3) Analysis of challenges related to ICT utilization

We examined the digital divide between individuals and between groups based on the results of a survey of challenges of everyday living, social relations and attitudes toward ICT utilization among low-income people and the elderly, known as digital “have-nots,” as well as single parents and single-person households $ ^{20} $ , and analyze challenges that face the promotion of ICT.

### A. Lifestyle and social challenges

Here we will analyze the issue facing each segment of society and the characteristics of each segment’s forma-

Figure 2-2-2 Participation in online communities

(Source) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications "Survey on Safety and Security in an ICT Utilization Society" (2011)

tion of social ties, as a precursor to analysis of Internet utilization trends. We will also give an overview of the connections between social relations as a whole, and online communities. First of all, we note that the number of both personal friends and acquaintances in the local area is lowest among the low-income segment. Meanwhile, single parents have a small number of personal friends, while those in single-person households have a small number of acquaintances in the local area. As for participation in communities, a high percentage of low-income people had zero participation in communities, and were less social overall. Single parents, as well, as a group have a somewhat low rate of participation. Those in single-person households had a comparatively high rate of participation in groups based around shared hobbies or socializing, but a large number also had zero community participation. The elderly also had a comparatively high rate of participation in groups based around shared hobbies or socializing, but those who do not use the Internet had a relatively high rate of zero community participation.

When it comes to online communities, however, single-person households and low-income people had relatively high rates of participation, as shown in Figure 2-2-2-2, and around half of single parents also took part, but the elderly had a low rate at 29.8%. Comparing the status of revitalization of “ties” $ ^{21} $ through the Internet among online community participants and non-participants (Figure 2-2-2-3), participants had a much higher rate of revitalized ties than non-participants, and around 70% of

Figure 2-2-3 Revitalization of "ties" through the Internet

(Source) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Survey on Safety and Security in an ICT Utilization Society” (2011)