Research 2007

The current status of regional information literacy is analyzed along with outstanding issues, with the aim of proposing policies for developing effective literacy that will be useful to regional government.

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There are issues that have not yet been sufficiently considered amid market competition, such as mobile phones' role as a form of media, or universal design that will contribute to the making of a better communications tool. There is certainly room for further consideration of the shape of the media, which has possibly become buried in the competitive environment.

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We would rather analyze the network structure of mutual exchange for electronic money and corporate point systems, and discover bottlenecks within the social system in order to discuss countermeasures. We look for a balance between regulation and business development.

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We aim to understand what people with disabilities hope for from the mobile phones which have become widely used. We ask what the mobile society (government, businesses, manufacturers and regional community, etc.) may be able to do for the weaker members of society, and search for points that could be used in proposals.

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The expansion of virtual reality on the Internet (Second Life, etc.) has led to the appearance of a range of problems (in legal, socio-psychological, ethical and other areas). In the near future, it is anticipated that such virtual reality (Second Life) will come within the realm of mobile communication. This section deals with the current status and issues relating to the virtual reality (Second Life) as it is now, and observe the possibility of the potential impact of such issues in transferring to the mobile society.

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The use of mobile phones in communication in China is spreading extremely quickly, but the abuse of mobile phones (unauthorized use, etc.) is also increasing and diversifying, and there have increasingly been cases of mobile phones being used in fraud. There have also been reports of mobile phones being used in ways that lack moral accountability. Based on an understanding of the current abuse of mobile phones and its influence on society, we aim to clarify the background and reasons for its occurrence, as well as consider future trends and countermeasures.

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During 2005 and 2006, we implemented questionnaire-based surveys, field observation and hearing-based surveys of the environmental impact of the spread of mobile phones. We extended the survey to China last year, and this year, in addition, we also surveyed the United Kingdom. We focused on the current condition of the second-hand mobile phone market in both countries, to observe the environmental impact from a new perspective.

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A questionnaire-based survey has been taken every year since 2004 regarding the general state of use of mobile phones. Initially, the scope of this survey was within Japan only, but since 2006 it has included China, and in 2007 it also included Sweden.

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