Mobile email creating ‘Computer Refuseniks’

Mon, 09 Jun 2003 21:36:00 -0400
/society

Phone text messaging in Japan is different to the SMS messaging offered in Europe and the US. Each user has an email address, and each message is effectively an email. One surprising (to me) outcome of that is it delays the age by which Japanese become computer proficient.

Japan Media Review labels these people ‘Computer Refuseniks’

“Five years ago, before cell phone e-mail came into such widespread use, all college students felt the need to own their own PCs,” says Hiroshi Hanamoto of the online marketing firm Promotions. “Today, students with cell phone mail can easily get by without buying their own computers. Besides, they don’t have the money.”