International Comparative Study on the Development of Mobile-phone Usage and Social Influences

通过对日本、韩国和台湾地区的对比调查，了解手机使用的差异及其影响。这三个国家和地区的手机普及率居世界前列。通过调查发现，在使用方式和影响方面存在较大差异。手机有很多功能，如通话（打电话），发送邮件和上网。虽然日本人喜欢使用邮件而不是电话，即使是非常亲密和/或亲密的朋友，韩国人倾向于通过手机频繁地打电话给“Uri”（具有强烈的同胞感的群体）的成员。这种差异可以理解为电信文化的差异，而电信文化是传播文化的一部分。韩国传播文化坚持使用更高“丰富性”的媒介与“Uri”成员进行接触，而日本传播文化则要求对接触者进行照顾。日本人，即使他们很年轻，也倾向于使用邮件而不是打电话。日本人和台湾人之间有许多有趣的差异。最有趣的区别是关于使用手机的影响。虽然日本人不认为使用行动电话会增加家庭间的沟通，但许多台湾人认为使用行动电话后，家庭间的沟通会增加。手机的使用在社会中最亲密的群体中具有凝聚力的共同作用，但不同国家和地区的群体不同。在韩国是“Uri”，在日本是每天见面的亲密朋友群，在台湾是家庭。如上所述，我们通过分析在日本、韩国和台湾进行的调查数据，发现了当地电信文化的存在和不同的移动电话使用方式。

Comparative survey among Japan, Korea and Taiwan was conducted to make clear the differences of usage of mobile-phone and its influences. These three countries and area lead the world in the diffusion rate of mobile-phone. The big differences are observed in the way of usage and the influences by the survey. Mobile-phone has many functions such as conversation (telephone call), sending mail and internet access. Although Japanese like to use mail rather than phone-calling even to very close and/or intimate friends, Korean tend to phone-call frequently to member of "Uri" (group with strong fellow feeling) via mobile-phone. The difference can be understood to come from the difference of telecommunication culture which is a part of communication culture. Korean communication culture insists on using higher "richness" media to make contact to the member of "Uri" without hesitation, but Japanese communication culture ask for consideration to the person one is making contact. And Japanese, even if they are young, tend to use mail more frequently than calling. There are many interesting differences between Japanese and Taiwanese. Most interesting difference is about the effect of using mobile-phone. Although Japanese do not think that use of mobile-phone bring increase of communication among family, many Taiwanese answered that communication among family increase after using mobile-phone. There is common function of mobile-phone usage that cohesive power in the most close group in the society, but the group is different from country and area. In Korea it is "Uri", in Japan it is very close friend group whom meet every day, and in Taiwan it is family.As mentioned above we find the existence of local telecommunication culture and different way of usage of mobile-phone by analyzing the survey data conducted in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.