Mobile Media and the Transformation of Family

1. Mobile Media and the Transformation of Family Misa Matsuda Chuo University, Japan Mobile Media 2007 The University of Sydney 4th/July/2007

2. 1.Why focus on Japan? highest diffusion of the mobile Internet 　　　　　↓ Future of the mobiles? Future of the societies embedded mobile media ?

3. “unique circumstances”of Japan 1.Users : boom of pagers among youth →habituation of text message exchanges 2.Competitive media : slow diffusion of PC Internet 3.Services and Carriers : not to employ the GSM and “vertically integrated model”

4. Mobile media embedded societyfromthe “uniqueness” of Japan and Japanese families

5. Keitai—mobile phones Shared moniker for mobile phones in Japan ↑ Keitai : portable Denwa : telephone

6. 2.Toward Keitai-managed family Mother of 8-year-old and 10-year-old sons (on her way to pick them up from their after-school lessons): I always call to say “We're done, so we’re coming home.” Once, when I neglected to call, my husband scolded me saying, “Since you have a keitai, you could at least call!” Author: But doesn’t the lesson always end at the same fixed time? Mother: Yes, but even still, I always call home to announce that we’re on our way. My husband also calls from the office without fail.

7. Toward Keitai-managed family Transformation of the Japanese family 　　・individualization 　　・communicativeness ↓ Keitai as a binding agent

8. Keitai for kids

9. Keitai Diffusion among children Sep.２０００　　　 →　　Nov.２００５ Fifth and sixth graders in elementary school ３．０％　　　　　→　　２９．７％ Junior high school １５．７％ 　→ 　６５．３％

10. 3.Parents surveillance via keitai Mother of 7-year-old and 10-year-old daughters: My daughter said to me 'Wouldn't you also feel better if I carried a keitai?'

11. Docomo’s Service A loud protection alarm can activate voice call and location notification functions Equipped with an easy-to-activate approximately 100 dB* protection alarm. The alarm can be set to trigger an automatic call (voice call) to a pre-registered party, and send automatic mail (Message R) with location information to an "imadoco search" subscriber. http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/product/kids_phone/sa800i/features.html

12. au’sservice http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/lineup/a5525sa/index.html If the Security Buzzer is activated:１． the camera automatically takes a photo.２． a call is automatically placed to a family member‘s phone (Pair Function recipient).３． the photo and a URL for tracking the child’s movement is sent to a family member‘s phone (Pair Function recipient).４． your child's movements can be tracked with a phone or computer using maps that are updated approximately every five minutes (minute-by-minute location marks with your child's whereabouts are displayed on the map).

13. Parents surveillance via keitai １．children’s commuting custom ２．penetration of the sense of “the deterioration of public safety” ３．care/control for children among a “family who educates”

14. ４．Mom in the pocket Author: Is there any particular instance when you were glad you had your child carry a keitai? Mother of nine-year-old daughter: Well, my daughter called me while she was out crying "I lost my bicycle key!" So I told her, "I'll be there right away, so wait right there." I was glad she was carrying a keitai then.

15. Mom in the pocket １．enhance “remote mothering” ２．transformation of the children’s process of independence