Sticker Set Created from over 3,000 Sticker Ideas from Junior High and High School Students across Japan

 

Tokyo, Japan – March 15, 2016 – LINE Corporation announced the release today of anti-online bullying stickers developed together with the NHK Education Television program Ijime Wo Nokkuauto (“Knocking Out Bullying”). The If Not You, Then Who!? sticker set was created from ideas collected from junior high and high school students across Japan and will help users relieve tense situations and change the subject when chats turn negative.

 

The idea for this initiative sprouted from a discussion on a NHK Education Television program aired in Japan on October 10, 2015. During the program Ijime Wo Nokkuauto Special 6: Bokutachi wa Akiramenai (“We Won’t Give Up”), host Minami Takahashi from pop group AKB48 and participating junior high and high school students held a discussion on the topic “Is there anything bystanders in LINE chats can do to stop name-calling?” The discussion led to the idea of LINE stickers that could be used to “relieve tense situations and change the subject when chats turn negative.” LINE is actively focused on promoting net literacy activities to reduce any online communication trouble involving youths, and therefore responded to the idea and decided to work on actually creating such stickers with NHK.

 

The If Not You, Then Who!? sticker set released today features eight stickers carefully picked by a selection committee made up of program guests and experts, who selected the stickers from approximately 3000* submissions by junior high and high school students across Japan. The selection committee formed in January was comprised of Minami Takahashi, the six junior high and high school students appearing in the program, and a handful of experts―Shizuoka University Faculty of Education Associate Professor Shingo Shiota, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University Department of Psychology Associate Professor Asami Maekawa and LINE Corporation Sticker Team Manager Naotomo Watanabe.

 

Committee participants exchanged a variety of opinions and thoughts on what sort of sticker set they envisioned. “Junior high and high school students are mostly using LINE in the evening, so when the chat takes a negative tone, maybe it would be good to have a sticker that implies ‘Let’s sleep it off and talk tomorrow,’’’ said one participant. Another pointed out that “stickers featuring crudely drawn characters could help soften any harshness from saying something in direct, frank words.” One more participant expressed a desire for “a set of stickers for every potential perspective―the victim, the person who made the offending comment, and the other bystanders.” There was also a discussion about the title of the sticker set and what kind of title would make users want to use them more frequently. Ultimately the committee determined that using the word “bullying” may make it harder for users to use them, and so chose the title If Not You, Then Who!?, which avoids the word bullying altogether.

*Entries collected between October 13 and December 31, 2015 under the theme “LINE stickers to help prevent name-calling and other trouble.” Please refer to the following press release for details (Japanese only): http://linecorp.com/ja/pr/news/ja/2015/1106

 

Footage from the selection committee meeting is scheduled to be aired in Japan on Ijime Wo Nokkuauto Special 7: Boku ni Dekiru Koto. Kimi Ni Shika Dekinai Koto (“What We Can Do and What You Alone Can Do”) airing in Japan on March 19 at 7:00 PM on NHK Education Television.

 

The stickers are being distributed for free starting today via the Sticker Shop within the LINE app. Going forward, LINE will promote wide usage of the stickers by introducing the sticker set on the television program homepage and at workshops and lectures the Company performs at elementary and junior high schools across Japan when schools so wish.

 

LINE is always looking for ways to make the Internet and smartphones safer to use for minors.

 

If Not You, Then Who!? Stickers

 

－Where to Download:  -Click http://line.me/R/shop/detail/6103 to be redirected to the download page.

                                      Note: Only accessible via smartphones with the LINE app installed.

-Search for the sticker set name via the Sticker Store within the LINE app to locate the download page.

－Availability: March 15,2016 to March 15, 2017 (Expire 180 days after download)

 

－Price: Free

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