Generational Differences in Japanese Messaging Practices Cause Communication Gap
The topic of Japanese young people being afraid of periods and even calling it “period harassment” continues to be a topic in Japan recently. A while ago, ZhaiZhai News introduced that young Japanese people using LINE, an instant messaging software had issues with periods and wanted to avoid them. This has caused a communication gap between the younger and older generations.
The so-called “Period Harassment” refers to the opinions of Japanese young people when using instant messaging software. They have a negative impression and feel that sentences with periods are cold and emotionless. Once you receive a message with a period, you may even think that the other person is angry with you. However, because middle-aged and elderly people prefer to add periods at the end of sentences, a serious communication gap has formed between generations.
But the generational gap in using LINE is not only reflected in the “period”. According to a program survey, Japanese young people input exclamation marks in a different way than their older counterparts. Middle-aged and elderly people are very accustomed to switching to a pattern that makes young people quite disgusted. Young people will not convert exclamation points into a red exclamation mark pattern, and those that do use white hearts rather than pink hearts, like the older generation.
Results from street interviews revealed that nearly 20% of “1x years old ~ 2x years old” use red exclamation points, while “4x years old ~ 5x years old” use it nearly half the time. This data highlights the differences in generational habits.
This cultural shift has caused confusion and barriers in communication. Many older individuals find it difficult to keep up with the cultural changes of young people, such as newer messaging habits. This gap in understanding is causing a significant communication breakdown. The discovery of these differences in messaging practices has brought to light the importance of recognizing and understanding generational differences in modern communication.