Facebook Use in Japan and the US

Usage of Facebook between Japan and the USSaki HatadaMio OhniwaRisa AndoSocial Media SeminarProfessor: Adam Acar

AboutAsked OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS to• 25 Gaidai students• 28American studentsAbout• How using Facebook in daily life• 25 questions

1. Privacy concernsJapanese• address• where you are• pictures of themselves• register in real name• tagged in picture without noticing• phone numbers• job hunting• don’t know who’s looking at the profile page

1. Privacy concernsAmericans• don’t know who’s looking at profile• if policeman looks• where you are• employers accessing to profile• keeps records of website visited• application tells where you are• company is selling personal data• friends don’t might share personal information

1. Privacy concerns• Japanese: all people had some concerns• American: 8 people answered no ⇒have control over privacy Americans knows better at controlling privacy?

2. Security concernsJapan• can be predicted because of real name• address and school• application is kind of like spam• Google search• tagged on picture which you didn’t want to show• friend request sent from people who don’t know• 8 /20 →no

2. Security concernsUSA• phone number• email address• someone could pretend you• easy to gain private information• house being robbed• 19 /27→no

3. Using Facebook to studyJapaneseGood→13 /25• can question and answer a lot so it’s effective• good to collect many people’s idea• can make secret groups and share information easily• get contact easily• Facebook is familiar for us

3. Using Facebook to studyJapaneseBad→12 /25• force to use Facebook for the lesson is not good• mailing list is enough• for people using cellular phone is inconvenient• all the people maybe can’t access to Facebook• who doesn’t have account for Facebook are forced to participate• just doing regular class is fine• don’t use that much in daily life and troublesome

3. Using Facebook to studyAmericanGood→15 /28• convenient to organize• central part of social world• collect public insight• very helpful when coordinate study groups• easy to form groups• efficient for communication• interactive than mail chains• almost everyone uses Facebook• they know how to use it and be comfortable

3. Using Facebook to studyAmericanBad→13 /28• not effective• keep social life separate• not as a learning tool• ask directly to teachers is better• teachers can’t keep students to focus• everyone doesn’t have Facebook• easily distracted• less formal• don’t know how effective

4. Professors who require their students toparticipate in class discussions on FacebookJapaneseGood→5 /22Bad→10/22• can’t use internet at home• doesn’t have a computer• not good to force people to use Facebook• it’s interesting but don’t know why using FacebookDon’t know→7 /22

4. Professors who require their students to participate in class discussions on Facebook USA Good Bad• convenient • dislike• easier to give homework • shouldn’t be required • feel forced• 7 /28 • strange • illogical and distracted • troublesome • force to have Facebook account • should have separate website • don’t have access to internet • have to check every students attending • 21 /28

5. Be friends with professorsJapaneseGood →17 /25• you can share ideas and knowledge• Can have contact even there’s no lectures• if professor accept it• you can motivateBut• your privacy will be known• you should care what you’ll upload• there’s pictures you don’t want to show to professors• what you can upload will be limited

5. Be friends with professorAmerican Good→7 /27• if professor is ok• helps create closer relationships within the classroom• can stay in contact and became closer to professors• helps communicating• facilitate learning and improve student performance Bad→16/27• having group page is better• not appropriate• strange• after graduation:11 up to students and professors→4/27

6. How often updating status Japanese Americans• no:9/23 • no:13/28• sometimes:6 • yes:8• only photos:4 • once every week:7• yes :1• once a week:1• once a month:1• use twitter:1

7. What kind of statusJapanese• what you thought and felt:5• club activities:4• big events:3• bought this item• good movies on you tube• about self and friends• share links• interested

7. What kind of statusAmerican• something interesting:14• self:11• big news:5• event:2• my friends:2• activity:2• family:1• weather:1

8. How often and what kind of picture do you updateJapanese• no:9/25• sometimes :7• yes:6• about 2 times in a month:1 What kind• scene:3• club:3• trip:3• food:2• yourself and friends:2• event :2• interesting:1• daily life:1

8. How often and what kind of picture do you updateAmerican• no: 13/27• yes:10/27• only after trip: 4/27 What kind• self and friend:8• vacation:7• travel:6• activity:5• interesting and funny:3• food:2• event :2• family:1

9. How do you think about people uploading oftenJapaneseGood or not bad→22/24• skip the people who don’t know but will look at friends• pictures are fine but all in writing is not interesting• can use Facebook• can know about people’s status• fun to watch other peopleBad→2/24• think about tagging picture• should know you are uploading with your responsibility

9. How do you think about people uploading oftenAmerican• annoying:5• depends on the post:4• don’t feel anything:3• want attention:2• don’t know:2• has right to post• overusing• self-centered• great ways to share photos

10. When use Facebook Japanese Americans• before sleep:8/23 • before bed:10/27• after coming back from school:4 • all the time:6• while going to school:4 • after work:3• at night:3 • after classes:2• when having time:2 • lunch break:2• got new message from • during the day:2 Facebook:1 • when wake up:2

11. What kind of messages and photos doyou usually “like”? Americans Japanese Funny one (16/28)  Photos or messages The one they agree related to them with  Pictures of beautiful Cute one scenery Something related with  Story of friends having their hobbies a good time

12. Do you think others “like” yourupdates because of Reciprocity? American Japanese Yes (5/26)  Yes(8/22)“I think some people do  No (14/22) because they dont want to seem like theyre not paying attention to what their *Most of them answered friends are posting.” no, but they said they feel No(21/26) that way sometimes. NO!

13. Do you respond to each comment? American Japanese Yes (2/28)  Yes (26/26) “I usually do because its courteous and helps  No (0) facilitate interactions with my friends.” *Most Japanese feel not No (26/28) responding to comment “No. If what Im saying isnt is impolite. genuine and sincere then I dont say it. I dont comment just for the sake of commenting.”

14. What is your profile picture like? Americans Japanese Themselves (27/28)  Themselves (22/25) with family, friends, or  Illustration (3/25) lover. Illustration (1/28)

15. Do you think profile pictures reflectones personality? American Japanese Yes (18/26)  Yes (24/26)“They reflect how someone  No (2) wants to be perceived by others.” “Yes, the type of picture shows what the person truly thinks of them self.” No(1/26) Sometimes (7/28)

16. What do you think about a person who doesntshow his/her face in the profile picture? American Japanese Most of Americans  Most of them think its answers are negative. okay and they Some of them think understand about people have privacy security concerns. concerns. (21/25)*hiding something, not confident, annoying, creepy, wired... etc

17. Have you untag photos of yourself? American Japanese Yes (25/28)  Yes (10/25)“If there is alcohol, if its not actually a picture of me, or if  No (15/25) it is too unprofessional- looking. Im studying journalism and employers will definitely be looking at my social media websites.” No(3/28)

20. Being Friends with Parents Japanese Foreigners No Yes 19/25 23/28

20. Being Friends with ParentsJapanese － Why not?• Parents do not have accounts• Feel that they are watched• Privacy• Parents will worry• Embarrassing

20. Being Friends with ParentsForeigners – Why?• Nothing to hide• Communication tool• Actually regret• Limit parents’ access• ×post what do not want parents to know

21. Miscommunication on FB Japanese Foreigners No Yes 100% 23/28

21. Miscommunication on FB• Hard to tell the tone of post• Sarcasm• “Communicating with someone through text is sadly inferior to speaking in person because you lose body language, tone, inflection, and facial expressions”.

21. Miscommunication on FB• Misinterpreting• “Sometimes, there are occasions when I misinterpret what somebody’s trying to say in a post because the sentences can be read in multiple ways”.

22. What Hesitate to PostMessages Photos• Mental abuse • Embarrass or humiliate• Negative message friends• Super personal message • Underage drinking• Complaints• Offensive message

22. What Hesitate to PostJapanese Foreigners • Drinking alcohol• boast (Affect job interviews) • Political • Religious (Friends don’t all share their beliefs)

23. Presenting themselves betterQ. “Do you have friends who want to present themselves better or cooler than they are? Do you think this kind of people are the majority”?

23. Presenting themselves betterA. Yes. It’s Normal.• Everyone wants to present themselves in a positive light• Most people present who they want to be, not who they really are• “No” ― 0nly 7 Japanese and 3 foreigners

24. P.C. or Smart Phone A. Smart phone, but prefer P.C. Smart Phone P.C.• Whenever they are out and have • Much faster time to log on • Easy to type with the keyboard• Take picture and upload quickly • Better for seeing picture because it’s bigger×Take too long time×Small • Can change the settings that we cannot on smart phones

25. Facebook and Other SNSsQ. Connect Facebook and Other SNSs? Japanese No 100%• Each SNS has different purpose.

25. Facebook and Other SNSsJapaneseFacebook Twitter• More broad friends • Only close friends (co-workers, friend’s friend, old friends, • Post many times, not very close friends, friends in • Post too often for Facebook hometown) • Post even uninteresting things• Using as an album• To contact with friends

25.Facebook and Other SNSsForeignersFacebook• To intaract with friends• “I use Twitter to Tweet, and to talk about food. And I use Facebook to talk and keep up with friends. I don’t feel the need to update everything in every SNSs”.

25.Facebook and Other SNSsForeignersOnly Facebook – 8Twitter – 10• To post more about things they are doing• To post how they are feeling• To follow famous people

25.Facebook and other SNSs• Thumblr• Pinterest• Foursquare to post location• Instagran to post more pictures than on Facebook

Facebook Use in Japan and the US

by Adam Acar on Aug 12, 2012

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