JAPAN / Society

Japanese high schoolers use social media mostly for hobbies, survey finds

Nearly 90% of Japanese high schoolers who responded to a survey said their hobbies and interests had grown thanks to social media, with 55.9% also saying they now have a greater interest in society as well. | REUTERS

By Yukana Inoue
Staff writer

Jul 3, 2024

In a survey published Tuesday on social media use among high school students in Japan, China, South Korea and the United States, it was found that Japanese high schoolers tended to use social media mostly for hobbies and occasionally to make friends.

The study compiled by the National Institute for Youth Education collected responses from over 15,000 high school students across the four countries between September and January.

Japanese high school students appeared to have the most interest in using social media as a tool to acquire information about their hobbies, such as video games or music as well as being part of online fandoms or engaging in oshikatsu — activities fans engage in to support their idols.