## 2 -4 Section 3 The Potential of a Symbiotic Network Society

## Proposals for the kind of society that could be achieved with broader use of ICT throughout society, based on an analysis of social media

(1) Utilization of social media is being led by the younger generation (P24)

Approximately 60% of social media users access multiple media. A majority use SNS, blogs, or Twitter.

Both overall use and use of multiple media are high among young people (among users, rate of multiple media use is 69.3% among the 10-19 age group and 61.5% among the 20-29 age group).

While males and the young tend to have high rates of use in general, blogs are accessed more by female users than male. Rates of use are growing in all age groups (among elderly (60 years and older) social media users, 59.5% use SNS and 55.1% access blogs $ ^{*} $ ). *Percentages are out of elderly social media users, who account for 22.3% of the elderly population

Social media utilization is led by teens and 20-somethings who use media during slivers of free time, regardless of their location, via mobile devices. (45.1% of the 10-19 age group and 31.7% of the 20-29 age group primarily use mobile devices.)

(2) Social media provide a vehicle for cooperation and collaboration and help to resolve various problems (P25)

Users make use of different types of social media for different purposes, achieving diverse results. For example, SNS are frequently used to interact with existing acquaintances (43.9% of SNS users), whereas blogs may be used to resolve everyday anxieties and issues (13.1% of blog users).

Social media provide a vehicle for cooperation and collaboration and help to resolve various everyday problems, anxieties, and social and community issues. For example, some use social media to contact those with whom they work or volunteer, or who share similar concerns, and a great many (50.3%) have achieved results such as finding a business partner, resolving their own or their family's academic, employment, child-rearing, or health issues, or resolving neighborhood or community problems.

(3) Expectations for ICT's role in formation and revitalization of "ties," resolution of anxieties, contribution to mutual support, and inclusion of diverse segments of society (P26)

In the midst of weakening family and community ties, social media is effective both at strengthening existing relationships and establishing new ones. (Example: 69.6% of people who communicate with faraway acquaintances via social media say it has strengthened their ties.)

A great number of social media users (36.8%) have resolved issues and anxieties regarding academics, employment, child-rearing, health, etc. The greater the frequency of interaction, the greater the likelihood of resolving issues.

Social media are being used to strengthen ties, resolve issues and anxieties, and facilitate mutual support among people. The creation of networks of mutual support among those in risk of isolation is expected to lead to a broadly inclusive social framework.

(4) Steps must be taken to address user anxieties over personal information (P27)

Users express anxiety over the threat of personal information leakage (86.5% of blog users) and invasion of privacy (73.4% of blog users), and effective countermeasures are required.