世論 What Japan Thinks

This Sunday’s fun is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at moments when you want to say “That’s because you’re an old git!”, and to follow up, what old gits think about the kids today.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

I can’t say I suffer from any of the old git activities listed in Q1, at least I hope not, except for the moaning about work, but at least my moaning is justified! For Q2, the one thing that does confuse me is the fashion for trouser crotches around the knees in men. To preserve their modesty, even school trousers seem to come in high waistband size, so it just looks exceedingly silly and I wish they’d all stop it! Next comes sloppy speech, all the “maji yabee!” and “ore saa”. Uggh!

Ranking results

Q1: When do you want to say to someone “You’re showing your age”? (Sample size=1,052)

Rank		Score
1	Soon starts off on “Kids these days…”	100
2	Talks in a loud voice regardless of disapproving glances	95.0
3	Doesn’t listen to other people	88.3
4	Loves to preach	87.5
5=	Won’t give up their seat, always dashes for a seat	77.5
5=	Loves to talk about days gone by	77.5
7	Loves to talk about themselves	75.8
8	Talks on and on	75.8
9	Tells corny jokes	65.0
10	Mobile ring tones are too loud	60.0
11	Always moans about work, family	54.2
12	Loves gossiping	51.7
13	Always makes sexist remarks	48.3
14	Hopeless with computers	46.7
15	Uses mobile phone even in priority seating	44.2
16	Always talks about health matters	39.2
17	Loves to talk about the Bubble	38.3
18	Tactless	36.7
19	Doesn’t know about recent television dramas or music	34.2
20	Loves idealism	31.7

Q2: What actions by young people make you blurt out “Kids these days…”? (Sample size=1,025)

Rank		Score
1	Sitting on the floor in trains	100
2	Sloppy way of talking	79.1
3	Thoughtlessly squatting in the middle of the pavement	76.5
4	Not knowing, can’t use polite language	69.1
5	Can’t read/write kanji	57.9
6	Shouting in the middle of the night	50.3
7	Using the mobile phone regardless of where they are	43.2
8	Get moody when told off	41.7
9	Not reading newspapers	41.1
10	Blocking off the pavement when walking	39.1
11	Not reading books, not knowing authors’ names	36.8
12	Untidy dress sense, jeans full of holes	36.2
13	Tactless	35.4
14=	Liking to soon quit jobs	33.3
14=	Mobile ring tones are too loud	33.3
16	Giving up on things quickly	33.1
17=	Not listening to others	32.9
17=	Doing everything by email	32.9
19	Not knowing the Prime Minister’s name	32.1
20	Having no dreams	29.4