Influence of International Students' Communication Media Usage on their Adaptation Situation to Daily Lives in Japan : Focusing on Cell Phone and Computer Usage

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  • YE Shaoyu
    Tokyo Institute of Technology:Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
  • MUROTA Masao
    Tokyo Institute of Technology

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Other Title
  • 留学生のコミュニケーションメディア使用が異文化適応状況に及ぼす影響 : ケータイとPCを中心に
  • リュウガクセイ ノ コミュニケーション メディア シヨウ ガ イブンカ テキオウ ジョウキョウ ニ オヨボス エイキョウ : ケータイ ト PC オ チュウシン ニ

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Abstract

This study focuses on international students' communication media usage (voice calls, text messages and Internet accessing via Japanese cell phones and Internet accessing and e-mail usage via computers), and aims to investigate what type of relationship exists between these usages and their adaptation situations within Japanese society. We conducted a questionnaire survey targeting 518 international students who were enrolled at a national university in the Kanto Region. Based on 397 international students' responses, it was revealed that there was a significant causal relationship between their communication media usages and adaptation situations, with cell phone usage having a particularly positive influence on their adaptation situations, which was found to be larger than that of computer usage. In addition, it was found that those older male, government-supported students' adaptation situations were better than those of others, and the international students' lengths of time spent learning the Japanese language had a negative effect on their adaptation situations. However, their demographic factors and length of time spent learning the Japanese language had no significant effects on their communication media usage. The results of this study showed that the relationship between international students' communication media usage and their adaptation situations to their daily lives in Japan has changed with the expansion of cell phones' functions. It is expected that this study will become an orientation for future research that examines international students' adaptation situations.

Journal

  • Socio-Informatics

    Socio-Informatics 3 (1), 1-15, 2014

    The Society of Socio-Informatics

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