Ideas for SNS to Make the World Happier, Developed with 9 High School Students

The Future Business Creation Lab is a cross-organizational unit within the Dentsu Group that visualizes the future to support corporate business creation and transformation.

In our previous article, we introduced how this organization collaborated with TOPPAN, a company specializing in manufacturing and content creation using various technologies and know-how, and SHIBUYA109 lab., a youth marketing agency focused on Generation Z, to host the half-day workshop "Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference" for high school students. We also shared the significant shift in mindset among high school students who had previously felt anxious about the future, and the analysis of the reasons behind this change.

Many high school students, who represent the next generation, feel anxious about the future. Meanwhile, B2B companies—which high schoolers rarely encounter—possess numerous technologies capable of transforming the future. We believed that if high schoolers learned this fact, it could help shift their anxiety about the future into a sense of "slight excitement." This idea was the starting point for the Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference.

This time, Akane Yamada from the Future Business Creation Research Institute continues by introducing the ideas generated by the high school students in this workshop and how they will engage with companies going forward.

【About Mirai Business Creation Research】
A cross-organizational unit within the Dentsu Group that supports corporate business creation and transformation by visualizing the future. Driven by the desire to create a world where the next generation can once again "look forward to the future," we work daily with client companies to envision the "future that should be" and help them take the first step toward creating it.
https://dentsumirai.com/

<Table of Contents>

▼B2B Tech × High School Students' Perspectives = !?

▼The Challenge: "Ideas for an SNS That Makes the World Happy"

▼Your "Personal Dream Navigator" to Produce Your Ideal Self

▼ "One Favorite Human for Every Person"

▼ "An Experience Platform for Understanding Different Cultures & Values"

▼ "An AI Counselor You Can Tell Everything To"

▼The True Nature of "Anxiety About the Future" Discovered Through Idea Creation

▼Create Your Own Exciting Future!

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BtoB Company Technology × High School Students' Perspectives = !?

At the Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference, we conducted the workshop in the following three steps.

1. We visualized high school students' anxieties about the future,
2. Input corporate initiatives and technology/expertise with TOPPAN's cooperation
3. Visualizing the "future high school students want to create"

One theme considered as an approach to "the future they want to create" was "Ideas for an SNS that makes the world happy." This article introduces the specific ideas generated at the Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference and explores the nature of the "anxieties about the future" felt by high school students during the workshop.

The theme: "Ideas for a social networking service that makes the world happy"

First, let's discuss the thought behind the theme "Ideas for a Social Media Platform That Makes the World Happy."

We focused on SNS as the theme because it's a communication tool that's familiar to high school students and essential for their lives. SNS, including the internet, is expanding the world and becoming increasingly diverse. What will SNS look like in a future where AI and the metaverse are widespread? How will information gathering and access change? TOPPAN, SHIBUYA109 lab., and Mirai Jigyo Soken worked with high school students to envision the future of SNS.

On the day, we formed two groups of high school students and working professionals. Using the input and insights gained during group work as inspiration, we aimed to expand ideas for "the future we want to create."

Participants wrote down their anxieties about the future and concerns regarding SNS, confronted current challenges, and discussed what improvements they desired. They deepened their thinking: "What do we really want to be able to do? What's holding us back?" This process drew out discussions connecting back to the fundamental "future we want to create" and "desires for what we truly want to do."

Following this, TOPPAN provided a lecture on their technologies and techniques that could potentially fulfill these "true desires."
We proceeded with the workshop by presenting various perspectives to the high school students: Who would they communicate with? How would they express themselves or convey information? How would issues like online backlash or stalking problems related to SNS be addressed? We also encouraged candid opinions on matching (like finding best friends or romantic partners).

Following these efforts, we present four proposals compiled by the secretariat based on ideas created together with the high school students.

A "Personal Dream Navigator" who helps you produce your ideal self

This idea envisions creating a partner-like, coach-like presence that knows you better than you know yourself, analyzes your situation, and elevates you toward goals tailored to your needs. It's about creating a partner who helps you produce your ideal self.

The background to this idea stems from the concern that in a future where more things can be done online or remotely, leading to thinner social connections and less "meddling," the pressure to make all decisions alone will likely grow.

They help you when you don't know what to do next and gently push those who struggle to take action. High school students' comments seeking "loving meddling" stood out. By setting appropriate goals and suggesting ways to reach them, you can focus your efforts without hesitation. This proposal was born from the desire to create such a future.

〈Desired Features〉
▶︎ Someone who knows and analyzes you better than you know yourself
▶︎ Goal setting
▶︎ Handles scheduling appointments and commitments for you

〈Real TOPPAN Technologies that Inspired the Concept〉
▶︎ cheercle®: Automatically collects health data via sensors and IoT devices. Supports habit formation for health management
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Advises actions suited to your physical condition and mood that day
▶ MetaClone®: Easily generates 3D avatars from photos or cameras & enables various virtual experiences using avatars
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Enables various virtual experiences using avatars

"One Favorite Human Per Person"

Someone you like is always at home, praising you, listening to you, and encouraging you. This idea was born from the wish that an idol-like, aspirational figure would fully accept and affirm you.

In a future where stress is visualized, managing stress relief and maintaining motivation become personal responsibilities. The challenge stems from the expectation that individuals must find their own ways to decompress and refresh themselves to face the next day.

The reassurance and excitement of having someone you love always nearby helps you face reality with positivity. The future we want to create is one where each person can manage their own mood and live each day authentically and proactively.

〈Desired Features〉
▶︎ Someone to talk to, who listens and encourages you
▶︎ Assists with all daily tasks and household chores
▶︎ Being your ideal virtual human, simply being present lifts your spirits

〈Real TOPPAN Technologies That Inspired the Concept〉
▶︎ Virtual Human: Realistic virtual humans you can communicate with & through repeated conversations, the AI learns to understand you
→【A high school student's vision of future possibilities】A life where your favorite idol is always nearby
▶︎ TransBots®: Enables remote control of robots as desired & robots can automatically coordinate actions suited to the situation
→【Future Possibilities Imagined by High School Students】Robots automatically handle household chores

"An experiential platform for understanding different cultures and values"

The idea is that by experiencing not just the other person's words, but their entire environment and background, communication becomes possible that better understands what the other person truly wants to convey.

The focus is on a future where national borders disappear. Opportunities to interact with people of different cultures and values are predicted to increase dramatically.

In Japan, an island nation, opportunities for cross-cultural communication are limited. However, high school students' desire to engage in respectful communication that accommodates diversity gave birth to this idea. The future we want to create is one where we can understand others' perspectives, reducing global conflicts. It's a future where we can deepen exchanges with people of different cultures and values while fostering mutual understanding.

〈Desired Features〉
▶︎ Experience the background and context the other person wants to convey
▶︎ Experience cultures and religions from around the world while staying in Japan
▶︎ Receive alerts when you're about to make a potentially offensive remark

〈Real TOPPAN Technologies that Inspired the Concept〉
▶︎ GX LIVE™: Enables people physically separated to experience being in the same place
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Interacting as if in the same space, even when physically apart
▶︎ MiraVerse®: Accurately captures the real world, faithfully reproducing not just colors but textures too
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Instantly travel to foreign countries or distant worlds from home

"An AI Counselor You Can Talk to About Anything"

Even things you can't discuss with family or friends—wouldn't it be great if an AI counselor could accept anything? This idea envisions a future where, through matching technology and AI evolution, anyone can meet someone who truly understands them and feel they belong.

While modern times allow us to create countless connections if we seek them, we also risk feeling left behind. This idea stems from the challenge of supporting people struggling with awkward relationships or agonizing over "what they truly desire."

Being able to consult with AI (or even people) via SNS provides reassurance. This proposal was born from the desire to create a future where even those too distressed or embarrassed to seek help can access counseling and avoid loneliness.

〈Desired Features〉
▶︎ Accessible counseling anytime, anywhere, where someone will listen
▶︎ A safe space to talk about anything, with unwavering support
▶︎ Strict confidentiality guaranteed

〈Real TOPPAN Technologies That Inspired the Concept〉
▶︎ cheercle®: Automatically collects health data via sensors and IoT devices. Supports building health management habits
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Provides advice on mental state and nutrition based on health data
▶︎ web3 Marketing Unit: Verifies the originality of digital art and content, facilitates its distribution, and enables the operation of fan communities free from fraud
→【Future Possibilities Envisioned by High School Students】Digitally verifies the authenticity of one's skills

Although we started with the theme "SNS that makes the world happy," ideas emerged that could fulfill roles and existences unimaginable from current SNS platforms. We refined them to communicate more uniquely and sharply.

The true nature of "anxiety about the future" felt through idea creation

Working with high school students on ideas allowed us to sense the signs of the future they perceive and the true nature of their anxieties about the future, yielding three perspectives. We conclude by sharing comments from the students after their experience at the Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference.

The first is anxiety about a future demanding "understanding others." We discovered an underlying fear about communication: whether people can truly understand each other as human relationships grow increasingly superficial.

They struggle to express their own feelings and to grasp others' thoughts. Such repeated interactions inevitably increase stress. Yet avoiding communication altogether risks creating a negative spiral where understanding others becomes even more difficult. Statements like "I want to know the 'folds' of the other person's heart" were particularly noticeable.

The second source of anxiety is the future demanding "countless choices." With the diversification of e-commerce and social media, and the ever-increasing abundance of information, the number of situations demanding "choices"—from small daily matters to major decisions—is growing. It became painfully clear that people crave guidance to learn what is truly necessary for them and assistance to avoid making mistakes.

Finally, the difficulty in discerning one's own true feelings was also identified as a source of future anxiety. I heard that career paths are increasingly chosen based on "strengths and weaknesses" rather than "desires." While personalization is expected to become even more prevalent, I felt that happiness would increase if not only "what suits me" but also "my own will" were given greater importance.

Many high school students also shared that the time spent directly confronting "what they want to do" and "the future they want to create" at the Shibuya Mirai Sōzō Conference was a very fresh experience, even if brief. It renewed our hope as adults that they would nurture and cherish those innocent expectations – "What if I could do this!?" or "Maybe I can do it?" – without giving up.

Finally, we observed remarkable changes in how participants phrased their thoughts before and after the workshop.

One high school student who had answered in the pre-conference survey, "The environment is getting worse than it is now. Society seems likely to be filled with movements to improve an irreversibly damaged environment," responded after the conference, "I hope that technological development will gradually break down the barriers of culture, language, and values around the world."

While the shift toward more positive content is certainly noteworthy, what caught my attention was the change in writing style. The objective phrasing like "it seems like..."—which sounded detached, as if describing someone else—has shifted. Even if modest, the sentences now use "I" as the subject, expressing "I hope it will be like this." This change, however small, felt like a significant first step.

Nothing stands in the way of "I wish I could do this." I want to keep sharing this approach to facing the future: envisioning a future where we can enjoy things more freely and proactively, and steadily taking the steps needed to get there.

By visualizing both anxieties and the future we want to create, I hope this serves as a catalyst for two shifts within high schoolers' minds: "Transforming anxiety about the future into excitement for the future" "Creating a future as a goal, rather than waiting for a future chosen by elimination."

An exciting future is one you create yourself!

At the Shibuya Mirai Souzou Conference, we saw not only that the anxiety high school students felt about the future became slightly more positive, but also gained the added benefit of allowing them to experience the appeal of companies firsthand by learning about their technologies and thinking about the future.

Learning how high school students envision their own futures is also rich with marketing insights. We witnessed changes that strongly suggest corporate activities can indeed become catalysts for altering career paths and educational choices.

At the Future Business Creation Lab, we are eager to collaborate with companies interested in initiatives that make the future exciting, working alongside the generation that will shape tomorrow.

The saying "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" resonates deeply as we work on future-oriented projects. Even if our current efforts seem modest, continuing them for ten years could potentially yield significant impact. We tackle our daily tasks with this expectation in mind.

We will continue to provide many opportunities to share the Future Business Creation Lab's initiatives, so please stay tuned!

Contact: Future Business Creation Research (Attn: Yoshida / Yamada) &nbsp;
future@dentsu.co.jp

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