[Activity Report] IT Literacy Workshop at Sunamachi Yuai-en
On May 31st, the EDu team from JOYZO Co., Ltd. visited Sunamachi Yuai-en. This time, as part of a joint activity with the 7th Generation Tiger Mask Project, we conducted an "IT Literacy Workshop" for junior high and high school students living at the facility. JOYZO members shared their own experiences while discussing how to interact with smartphones, the internet, and social media. Here is a report on how it went!
Why is JOYZO conducting an IT literacy workshop?
About the 7th Generation Tiger Mask Project and JOYZO
The "7th Generation Tiger Mask Project" is a project that carries on the spirit of the support activities for childcare and welfare facilities that professional wrestler and martial artist Satoru Sayama (the first Tiger Mask) has continued for many years. K-1 WORLD GP three-division champion and martial artist Takeru, as the 7th Generation Tiger Mask, is developing activities centered on supporting the independence of those who grew up in childcare facilities.
JOYZO has been participating in this project since May 2023. Children living in childcare facilities face the "18-year-old barrier," where they are forced to become independent upon turning 18, and currently face many difficulties such as tuition costs, guarantor issues, and high turnover rates after leaving the facility. JOYZO provides support to these children in the form of skill-building necessary for independence.
Specifically, we support the acquisition of practical skills for independent living after leaving the facility, such as improving IT literacy, programming workshops, and education on work styles as a working adult. This initiative leverages the know-how we have cultivated over more than a decade of system development using kintone, as well as our experience conducting workshops for children nationwide. Our visit to Sunamachi Yuai-en was also conducted as part of these activities.
What is the EDu team?
JOYZO is an IT company fully committed to kintone. Based in Toyocho, Tokyo, we support the digitalization of companies. The "EDu team" was launched within the company by this group of IT professionals who wanted to "use the power of IT more broadly for the benefit of society." We have been conducting workshops at schools across the country, including in Nagasaki, Chiba, and Yamagata, as well as at events for women and children. We believe that IT skills are a power that can expand everyone's "independence" and "possibilities." This visit was also part of those activities.
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The day of the event
On the day, junior high and high school students from the facility and nearby facilities, as well as staff members, participated. It started with a greeting and program explanation by the moderator, Uchikawa. The workshop consisted of three sessions and a Q&A time, lasting about two hours.
SESSION 01 | General Lecture (Instructor: BB)
First, we started by talking about what IT and the internet are, and touched upon the dangers of the internet that are good to know as a general lecture.
Since many children will be getting smartphones and other devices, we explained that while the spread of the internet has made various things more convenient, the dangers have also become more diverse. We created the materials with the concept of keeping them from getting bored by including quizzes, rather than just talking one-sidedly.
In the case of childcare facilities, I think the adults close to them are the facility staff, so we encouraged them to talk to the staff first instead of thinking about it alone if something happens! And then we passed the baton to SESSION 2.
SESSION 02 | SNS Workshop (Instructors: Kodomari, Fujiami)
In this part, we learned about SNS (Social Networking Services), which is deeply rooted in our lives, focusing on the dangers of SNS and the "positive power" that can be gained by using it correctly and safely.
For children who are about to use (or are already using) SNS, this is a particularly important part of IT literacy.
In the first half, we talked about three points.
1. The Mechanisms Behind SNS Addiction
There are clever mechanisms in our brains and in the systems themselves that cause us to unconsciously have our time stolen and be controlled by social media.
The "Expectation Switch" (Likes/Notifications)
The "Time Swamp" (Infinite Scroll)
Information "Blindfolds" (Algorithms and Filter Bubbles)
It might not have clicked for the children who will be using social media from now on, but these are all things I want them to remember.
It seemed like many of the terms were new to them, but it was heartwarming when they said they knew the "Algorithm Gymnastics" (a popular Japanese educational TV segment).
2. The Impact of Smartphones
Even just having a smartphone nearby can sap your concentration, cause autonomic nervous system imbalances (irritability/restlessness), and lead to sleep deprivation due to nighttime use.
It is necessary to create physical distance, such as putting it away when not in use, and especially avoiding use for "one hour before bed."
During the Q&A, some said they "end up using their smartphones too much."
How about trying to spend one day without using a smartphone?
It might be good to think carefully about what you like doing on your smartphone, and how you spend your time when you don't have it.
3. Hidden Dangers and Pitfalls of SNS
Crimes and troubles targeting young people, triggered by social media and the internet, are occurring frequently.
There are things like dating sites and online solicitation where people are lured by "internet friends" and get involved in crimes such as sexual victimization, kidnapping, confinement, and fraud.
Also, "dark part-time jobs" (yami-baito) have become a serious problem.
I explained the methods used to get people involved in crimes and the entry points for participating in them, and instructed them to consult with adults or the police if they think something is suspicious.
I want children to always be aware of the latest information so they don't get involved in crimes. We adults must also continue to learn every day.
For a change of pace, we did a "Dark Part-Time Job Quiz".
It's a quiz where you look at job posting content and guess which one is a suspicious dark part-time job recruitment.
Surprisingly, the children's correct answer rate was high, which I found very promising.
In the second half, I talked about two points.
4. The Terror of Digital Tattoos
I explained the fear of information posted online remaining forever, using two actual incidents as examples. I explained how to prevent trouble and the importance of asking yourself, "Is it okay to put this out there?" before posting.
Also, in the "Is it okay to post this? Quiz," we all learned about the danger of personal information being easily identified from school scenes, uniforms reflected in photos posted on social media on the way home, manholes, and advertisements on utility poles.
It is truly a waste for a moment of carelessness or an innocent post to destroy a child's future possibilities. That is why I felt once again that I want to convey the importance of "stopping for a moment and asking" to protect oneself and those around them.
5. The "3 Positive Powers" to Make SNS Your Ally
1. The power to deliver "reality" at top speed
I explained the convenience of gathering breaking news on disasters, sports, and the latest trends as voices from the scene faster than the news.
2. The power of "triggers"
I introduced my own experience where posts on social media led to participating in student organizations, studying abroad, and my current job at Joyzo. I shared the episode: "The people I meet have changed, the places I go have changed, and I found what I want to do, which led to who I am today."
3. The power to "express"
By posting about your "likes" or things you "want to try," like-minded friends gather, and it becomes easier for people who support you to find you. It is a power to bring new opportunities and interesting triggers to yourself.
From a place where you just mindlessly watch videos and "use up" time, to a place where you "create" a new future. I closed with the message that I want them to make social media a strong ally.
SESSION 03 | EX Session (In charge: BB)
Finally, as an extra session, there was another lecture by BB.
"General Classroom" -> "SNS"and finally, he touched on"In-game purchases in social games"which BB wanted to talk about.
(Since I'm a bit of a spender myself, I thought I could talk about various good and bad things. I may or may not have spent a total of 7 figures in yen on a certain social game...)
I had made materials with lots of quizzes here too so they wouldn't get bored, but since there were quizzes in the SNS part, I thought there were too many, and I wanted to make it a bit more frank, so while the SNS part was going on, I had Claude remake the materials entirely. As expected of AI, it improved it in about 5 minutes.
I sometimes see factions on social media saying "in-game spending is evil," but as a spender myself, I think, "Isn't it the same as spending money on clothes or hobbies? Why is in-game spending bad?" and I think it's up to the individual what they spend their money on as long as it fits their own wallet.
"Spending money on games is by no means a bad thing. However, it is also a fact that it is easy to get sucked in because it feels less like you are actually spending money. If you are going to spend money, consider your own budget and do it in a planned way!"
With those words, the EX session came to an end. I am satisfied that I was able to say what I wanted to say!
Q&A Session
During the final Q&A session, many hands were raised actively. It was very impressive to see everyone seriously asking about things they had been curious about in their daily lives. Here are some of the questions that were actually asked.
・What should I do if I end up using social media for too long?
・How should I deal with it if my social media account is hijacked?
Joyzo members answered every question based on their knowledge and actual experiences, and we could hear nods and sounds of surprise from the audience.
Participant feedback and the future of the EDu team
After the workshop, we received feedback from the staff.
"Thank you for your valuable talk the other day. It was very educational, with stories that were helpful for both the children and the staff. We would like to look back on the talk with the children and use it as a reference for the future."
We also received a message from Mr. Sayama of the 7th Tiger Project.
"I received a call from the facility director, and they said they would definitely like us to do it again. There was also a request for a class for adults, so I hope we can ask you again."
Hearing that it was "helpful" not only to the children but also to the staff, and receiving messages from the facility director and Mr. Sayama saying "definitely again," has been a great encouragement to the EDu team.
The activities of the Joyzo EDu team will continue. With the thought of "wanting to bring the possibilities of IT to everyone's life" in our hearts, we will continue to work with all our might on our next activities!
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