We examined "the desires of young people" by looking at popular youth behaviors.

Today's youth come in many forms. Our previous "Wakamon Data" series has introduced various youth archetypes based on data. Some reflect the current era and communication environment, while others might make you think, "Ah, that's a classic youth type."
The image of youth often portrayed in society can sometimes seem a bit eccentric. High-fiving at Shibuya's scramble crossing, parading through the streets in cosplay or costumes. Yet, behind these actions and statements—often labeled as "not buying things" or "not consuming"—lies something that satisfies the "desires" of today's youth. It's something worth spending their time and money on. Whether they themselves realize it or not is another matter.

What youth behaviors made headlines this year? How many young people were actually doing them? In this Wakamon Data, we'll look at the "data" on contemporary youth behavior, based on a survey of 600 university students nationwide, defining youth as university students.

 

○○ Done by 1 in 4 College Students

When asked about experiences like "having done this within the past year" for various activities and events, "takoyaki parties (takopa)" —also featured in Wakamon Manga Episode 2—came in at 24.0%, meaning one in four university students. Among the many "○○-party" ideas for gathering at home, like curry, pizza, or hot pot, we specifically asked about "takopa." One in four seems like a fairly high number, don't you think? (Side note: Regionally, Kansai university students scored slightly higher. That region is famous for takoyaki, after all). "Werewolf Game" (26.8%) also scored at a similar level. This is a deduction game where players form small groups, split into humans and werewolves, and try to identify who the werewolves are through conversation. It gained popularity around last year with TV shows and smartphone apps dedicated to the game.

Both "takopapa" and "werewolf games" serve as venues and tools to make time spent with close friends more fulfilling. They appeal to today's youth, who prioritize not so much what they do, but who they do it with and how to enrich the time spent together. However, rather than being this year's trends, these two activities have been popular for several years now. Their inclusion in the list likely reflects their widespread adoption and establishment.

 

What activities are in the potential zone?

This survey asked about the experience rate within the past year for various activities and events, along with "participation intention" (whether respondents want to do or join the activity) and "perceived popularity" (whether they think it's popular among college students around them). The graph below combines these three indicators into one visualization.

The horizontal axis shows "Experience Rate," the vertical axis shows "Intention to Participate," and bubble size represents "Perceived Popularity." Looking at this graph, "Takoparty" (octopus party) is positioned in the upper-right zone with both high experience rate and high intention to participate, confirming its strong establishment among young people. Nearby are activities like "singing karaoke alone," "cosplay/dressing up" (which recently gained attention during Halloween), "waiting in line at popular pancake shops," and "attending outdoor music festivals" – an expression of that "event craving" often covered by Wakamon. The "werewolf game" mentioned earlier, while experienced by many college students, sits in a zone with low participation intent. This suggests it may be supported by a niche group of students or that its peak popularity has passed.

We've dubbed the crowded area where activities have low participation but high desire the "Potential Zone." Real escape games, city center barbecues, and events like the Color Run—where participants jog while showered in colored powder—fall into this zone. It will be interesting to see if these activities broaden their appeal next year and move into the upper-right "Takoppa Zone," or if entirely new activities or events emerge.

A key point here is that the proximity of each item on the graph reflects the closeness of their "total volume" of experience and desire, not the context of what draws people to them. While it could be argued that the presented options influenced this, many of the listed items strongly relate to "play," yet social actions like "participating in volunteer activities" also show relatively high scores. This suggests different underlying desires at play.

 

One in two people sometimes feel the need to reset their relationships

Actions can be seen as the "output of desire." People engage in certain behaviors because they are drawn to something. So, for today's youth, one major factor is "enriching connections."

Today's youth can easily connect with people around them via social media and maintain ties with middle and high school friends. It's not uncommon to see young people with hundreds or even thousands of "friends" on Twitter or Facebook. Consequently, while actions and consumption aimed at "enriching connections" are active, the desire to organize relationships that have become too expansive is emerging, as evidenced by terms like "connection overload" and "connection fatigue."

This survey also revealed that while over 70% of university students want to expand or deepen their relationships, one in two respondents said they sometimes feel the urge to reset them. This isn't about wanting to cut off relationships, but rather a desire to organize and rebuild them. For example, the recent buzz around "closed SNS" platforms—where users connect only with couples or close friends—may be part of this trend. Actions and consumption focused on rebuilding connections and enhancing their quality are likely to increase even more.
What are the young people around you doing?

〈Survey Overview〉
Survey Participants: First- to fourth-year students at four-year universities (600 respondents)
Survey Area: Nationwide
Survey Method: Smartphone-based internet questionnaire
Survey Monitors: TadaCopy App Members (Oceanize Inc.)
Survey Period: October 26 (Sun) to October 29 (Wed), 2014

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【Wakamon Profile】
Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department (commonly known as Wakamon) is a planning team that engages with the real lives and mindsets of young people, primarily high school and university students. By understanding their "present," we seek hints to brighten and invigorate the near future. Drawing insights from them, we foresee the future and realize new businesses that foster better relationships between young people and society. Currently, 15 project members are based across the Tokyo headquarters, Kansai branch, and Chubu branch. Information is also shared on the Wakamon Facebook page.