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YouTubeA Thought-Provoking Commercial from Thailand
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This week’s entry is going to be very short, but the topic is quite complicated, and one that affects all of us. Actually, I’m not even going to explain it. Instead, I want you to watch a video that my friend showed me.
It’s very thought-provoking, and it raises a point that we all need to think about. Please watch the video and tell us a) what you think about the commercial itself, and b) what you think about the topic. Is this something that affects you? Do you do it yourself sometimes? (I know I do!)
Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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Hi everyone,
a) what you think about the commercial itself,
I think the video image itself is pretty ordinary, there’s nothing special about it, but this commercial touches our heartstrings.
b) what you think about the topic. Is this something that affects you? Do you do it yourself sometimes?
I rarely do it myself. As I might have told you before, I still have a ガラケー and I use it only for calling or sending short texts. So, I’m a bit curious about what other people are doing on their smartphones all the time.
Well, I googled and learned that “dtac” is the second largest mobile phone company in Thailand. It’s not very usual for a mobile phone company asks their users to refrain from using on the phones, isn’t it?
I guess what they try to say through this commercial is that “Turn off your phone and face your partners, children or friends each other, they’re feeling lonely.” Their message makes a sense. I sometimes feel lonely and disgusted when my friends check(?) thier phones when I’m with them. They usually apologize and say, “Oh sorry! Where were we?” Am I less interesting than your mobile phone??
correction:
>It’s not very usual for a mobile phone company asks their users to refrain from using on the phones, isn’t it?
It’s not very usual a mobile phone company….
Hi David and everyone,
I’m glad to find a new entry after a long break!
The video shows us current problems of people becoming addicted to SNS.
>a) what you think about the commercial itself,
I think it’s mundane still tells us the beauty of nature and of interaction between people when we meet them in person.
> b) what you think about the topic. Is this something that affects you? Do you do it yourself sometimes? (I know I do!)
I’m not a heavy SNS user. I don’t even have a smartphone. Though I have to exchange a lot of mails by my cellphone with other Kodomokai members recently. Sometimes it kept me so long and made my dinner time very late. I don’t like it and makes me frustrated but I have to. I can’t type well on cellphone: each button is too small.
Those are the downside of mail but the upside is we don’t bother others by stopping them what they are doing at that moment when we telephone them.
Sorry again!
> It’s not very usual for a mobile phone company asks their users to refrain from using on the phones, isn’t it?
….is it?
David,
I didn’t check your blog recently, but I back to here again today for some reason. It seems, you are doing well and blog is enhanced which is good.
I saw video above and I felt it could be me… That is first impression. Business style is changing rapidly and now I can read/write corporate emails on the cell phone. In addition, there is time difference between here and parent company in Japan. Definitely, holiday is different also. This causes problem. When I pick up my cell, I can see corporate emails and start replying to it even at home, even on holidays. This is same as what I saw today. My wife doesn’t like this, so she was notifying this to me many times, so I’m trying to don’t think ‘Work’ during off. For your information, super star Ichiro in Yankees doesn’t think Baseball at home at all. once he left ballpark, he forget about baseball.
In Japan, I don’t see many company who allow to receive emails on the cell phone even sales guys. I guess there are many work regulations such as ‘time and material’ kind of salary style. I mean, if employees works at home, company needs to pay money as extra works time salary which called ‘Zangyou’ in Japanese. That’s why, email on the cell is not used very much in Japan. This is my guess, but this is good for family and I could be willing to back to this work style.
This is my comment on this topic.
Hi Yuki,
Nice to have you back with us.
Hi David and everyone,
Here’s my thought concerning this week’s topic.
>a) what you think about the commercial itself.
I found a lot of people were sharing this commercial on Youtube, so it seems that many people have been interested in it.
After watching it, what came to mind first was that the style of advertisement has been changing; the cell phone company doesn’t shout(scream?/ repeat loudly?) company’s name, never ask for using its cell phone( I guess so), but the ad (this? that?)make people think. People are conscious of depending on iphone or SNS too much these days, but they also know it’s difficult to give up the conveniences or pleasures. One thing for sure is that this ad tells you the importance of being connected with the real world including nature.
> b) what you think about the topic. Is this something that affects you? Do you do it yourself sometimes? (I know I do!)
Actually, my cellphone is not iphone, and I use it just to call and text, so I don’t check it that much. Many of my friends use iphone, so I know how convenient it is, but anyway, I don’t have a plan to change it to the new type at the moment.
By the way, it reminded me of an article I had read.
Here’s the link:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/16/digital/japanese-adults-spend-crazy-money-on-cellphone-games/#.UjfVsR6CjmI
According to the article, a lot of Japanese adults are addicted to social games and end up spending huge amount of money. It’s not the story about teenagers but adults!
Hi everyone,
I’m so happy to comment from a hospital for the first time in my life.
I suddenly had pneumothorax ( I have never even heard of this name!)
I hurt my back muscle during yoga class on Friday, and I was thinking that the pain came from my muscle. It gradually became hard to breathe, but I was still thinking that I got allergic to some kind of food I had eaten. Well, anyway, I went to the hospital and the doctor told me to go to the ER immediately with a very serious expression on his face, and here I am in a hospital bed with a tube inserted between my rib bones. I can’t describe how painful it is!
Anyway, I’m glad I had an iPhone!
I’ll try to read and write when I’m feeling better.
Hi Biwa,
Glad to hear you are okay. I just googled “pneumothorax,” and Wikipedia says “It is a medical emergency causing symptoms that, unless reversed by effective treatment, can progress and cause death”! How long do you have to stay in hospital?
Hi Biwa,
I was very surprised, you’re in the hospital?
I googled “pneumothorax”, too. Is it “自然気胸” in Japanese? If so, I’ve heard of the name several times.
If I remember correctly, 嵐の相葉ちゃん has been hospitalized with the disease twice. It is said that most of the patients are slim young men.
Anyway, I hope you’ll be feeling better soon!
Take good care!
YU
Hi all,
I thought it was kind of AC Japan advert, which raises awareness of how much smartphones affect our lives. This video encourages people to turn off their devices and engage with colleagues, friends, and family, however I’m sure those addicted people don’t care at all! So I doubt it will be able to succeed in changing their behaviours.
Biwa,
Get well soon. Take care.
Ash
Hi Biwa,
I hope you’ll get well soon.
Please take care.
Hi Biwa,
Sorry to hear that. Hope you will get well soon and get out of the hospital.
amo
Hi Biwa,
Sorry to hear about your disease.
Hope you get well soon. Take care!
Actually, a friend of mine’s daughter was hospitalized with the same disease several years ago, so I know how painful it is.
Hi Biwa,
I’m so sorry to hear about your disease. Are you okay? I can imagine it’s painful from your explanation. I hope you will get well soon!
Hi everyone,
Thanks for worrying. 🙂
I’m going to have a surgery tomorrow, and the doctor says I can go home on Monday or Tuesday if nothing bad happens.
I think Wiki is correct. If it had been several hours later that I came to the ER, I might have had a heart attack and died! My right lung was leaking so much air that is was only 20 percent of the usual size. The leaking air in the chest was also pressing my heart.
As YU says, this usually happens to slim young men, but be careful everyone! , it can happen to anyone.
Hi Yuki,
Have we talked before?
Sorry, I can’t remember every member here…
Do you live abroad ?
I’m not sure where you live, but I have exacty the opposite image for Japanese business people – they are often tied to work even after work or on weekends. Go drinking after work with your boss, play golf with your clients or boss on weekend, etc…., but of course, you don’t get paid even a penny!
In my brother’s case, he sometimes goes to his office to get important business calls or emails from his clients in other countries on weekend. He has two cell phones, one is for his private use, the other is given by his company. I think many Japanese business people are like him. By the way, my brother doesn’t get paid even if he works overtime because he is already in a managerial position.
I don’t think it is a good thing to work even when you have days off, either, but in my personal view, ironically, those who always devote themselves to work without complaints are often preferred and win quick promotion in Japanese companies because they are considered to be royal to their companies, this might be old-fashioned, though… Anyway, in contrast, Westerners are very good at changing their mood between working(ON) and relaxing(OFF). I guess the society and their better working conditions enable them to do so.
It is true that more and more companies in Japan are getting conscious of work-life balance of their employees, but I still think bad customs die hard.
Hi Biwa,
I’m sure your surgery will go well and you can go home on next Monday.
I’m praying for you.
Hi Biwa,
So it was a close call. I hope the surgery will be a success!
Hi David,
I took a look at the video that you mentioned, and here are my thoughts about it.
a) what you think about the commercial itself.
I usually don’t pay any attention to the TV commercials, so I might have felt nothing, if I had watched this commercial when I watched TV dramas. But you told that it’s a thought-provoking so I took it the same way.
b) what you think about the topic. Is this something that affects you? Do you do it yourself sometimes? (I know I do!)
I think it’s a bit exaggerated. If I am with someone (or some people,) I usually focus on that, so I don’t check my phone. I only check my phone if I expect someone’s call or email. I use iPhone and it’s really helpful when I am on a train, especially for killing time.
Hi Biwa,
I hope everything will go well and you can go home as soon as possible. I will keep my fingers crossed 😉
amo
Hi everyone,
Did you look up the sky last night? If so, were you lucky enough to see the harvest moon? I was:) it was so beautiful. I asked a friend to take a picture of it when we were on a way home yesterday, because her husband has a really nice camera. When I checked facebook on my cellphone this morning, I saw a beautiful full moon on it, she posted a picture of it.
Have a nice day 🙂
amo
Hi Biwa,
I pray for the success of your surgery 🙂
Hi amo,
I saw the moonlight and had some dumplings with my family last night. It was indeed a very beautiful full moon!