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There are several new fashions among the cool young girls
of Japan, or Kogyal, as people call them. Perhaps
the most practical and affordable new device is the pager or beeper. Until
recently, pagers were mainly used for business purposes, but recent data reveals
that 80% of users are in their teens or early twenties. Pagers
are banned at many schools but the new, vibrating pagers are difficult for teachers
to find. Students find pagers convenient tools to
organize events or just to send brief messages to friends. This
kind of technology has resulted in "faceless" communication in a similar
way to Internet chat sites. As a result, there is
a new kind of friend, the bell-tomo. Usually bell-tomos
never meet, but there is an obvious risk of danger to the user. However,
"Bell-bonding" reflects the user's need not to feel lonely and can be
seen as a convenient way to reduce stress. Another
technological advance which most teenage girls enjoy is the Print Club, puri-kura
in kogyal slang. This is a photo booth which takes
tiny Polaroids on a sheet-sticker for \300-500. Erina,
a 16-year-old has collected nearly 600 in an album. "Puri-kura"
she says, "is a good conversation starter. When I meet someone new I say,
"Gimme one, here's mine" then we look through each others' albums. It
makes it easier to make friends." Print club
seems to be to the kogyal what the business card is to her father, a way of introducing
yourself to people of similar social groups. Is it
here to stay or just a passing fashion? | 
