Mobile phones and the Japanese

"Uchi" and "Soto" concept binds the Japanese at all time. In order to keep being in "uchi group" i.e. inner circle of your group, you have to keep your eyes on your mobile and text each other otherwise you are in danger of exclusion. It has been very well known that the Japanese text far lot faster and more often than the Europeans do. You will notice that the Japanese are very busy texting/e-mailing.
Now there is a question. Why on earth they do not ring each other instead? "Real voice" must be better, isn't it? Or are they worried about their phone bills?
This can be explained that the Japanese fear that communication without non-verbal aspects is more easily misunderstood. Thus they feel safer to use loads of "smile", "sorry", "happy" etc. marks to add their "correct" facial expressions. These marks are called "e-moji" i.e. picture letterings", which is particularly very well developed in this society. Thus text messages that tend to look very "dry" or "lack of emotion" on their own will "sound" and "look" friendlier with the e-moji. The receivers of the messages are then expected to use their full "imagination" and "empathy" to feel the senders' intention and emotion when the texts were composed. It demands very hard work in sending and receiving texts in Japan. Texting in Japan is more than just sending information.

People who would like to further discuss the photo, please also compair this with:
www.flickr.com/photos/cocoarmani/2120868475/
It was taken in London.