A spokesman for the National Police Agency. A Cabinet Office survey shows that nearly 70% of respondents blame the spread of smartphones and the Internet for growing juvenile delinquency in Japan. (NHK)
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We need to make more efforts to inform parents about using filtering functions to restrict access to harmful websites.
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Leigh Ivan Quintellio Wighton
Oh yeah, it's always smartphones' fault for everything in the last few years. There's no doubt that smartphones and their capabilities definitely have potential for harm and abuse, but I never saw folks in Japan constantly criticising regular cell phones, handheld gaming devices and the like as they do with smartphones. I would often, and still do, see kids and adults walking around town oblivious to everything and everyone playing their DS or PSP, texting on Galakei and even reading a manga, some of whom were trying to read these things while riding a bicycle. I think if the smartphone had been pioneered by a Japanese company, it would be viewed a bit differently. That said, it's not the technology's fault, it's the people using it. Teach some common sense and a more holistic approach to societal problems and people might start to realise that you don't need to be glued to your phone 24/7, and hey, maybe trying to read manga/texts on a bicycle will get you or someone else hurt.
gonemad
Children don't need censorship. They need parents which care and which they can talk to.
Novenachama
Talk to your children about the dangers of the internet. In other words educate and discuss about the threats concerning their safety, privacy and personal development. Open communication about a child's online activities is vital. Technology, while not a panacea, can also provide some help.
sillygirl
Yeah, and this same 70% do not talk with their children about their day, their friends, their school. Yeah, let's blame smartphones.