Awareness Raising and Education

Our Awareness Raising and Education Initiatives

KDDI runs a range of classes across Japan helping children and the elderly better understand how to use smartphones and other mobile devices safely, including Smartphone and Mobile Phone Safety Classes and Raise Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Literacy with Your Smartphone workshops.
Furthermore, we run campaigns to raise awareness of social issues such as smartphone use while performing other tasks. We are also actively engaged in initiatives such as organizing smartphone disassembly classes to promote the creation of a recycling-oriented society.

Youth Education Activities

KDDI Basic Guidelines concerning Safe and Secure Communication for Young People

We take UNICEF's Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Children's Rights and Business Principles seriously. With regard to the CRC in particular, which codifies children's right to survival and development, we ensure that children have access to education and do not face a digital divide. Regarding Children's Rights and Business Principles, we are committed to ensuring that KDDI's services come with safety measures that respect and promote children's rights.
We offer safe and affordable services to young people and run awareness campaigns. We are committed to protecting children's rights as we endeavor to create a society where children can enjoy mobile and internet connectivity.

Initiatives through KDDI Smartphone and Mobile Phone Safety Classes

At elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools across Japan, KDDI's certified lecturers teach children rules and manners to abide by when using a smartphone or mobile phone and go over teachable examples of trouble and incidents related to smartphones, mobile phones, and the internet. The classes are designed to enable children to use their own judgment and thereby avoid risks. Courses are held onsite at schools as well as online. Since its launch in fiscal 2005, a total of 42,000 classes have been held with over 7,400,000 attendees. There is a wide variety of human rights-related risks posed by the internet, and people need to be careful not to spread misinformation or write hurtful comments on social media, post identifying information, or too easily trust people met online.These topics are covered by the lectures, and we are working to enable children to safely use information technology while protecting their human rights.

Workshop-Style Classes: Raise DRR Literacy with Your Smartphone

Japan is struck by major natural disasters almost every year, and education for disaster risk reduction (DRR) is becoming increasingly important in schools. We have been holding workshop-style classes named Raise DRR Literacy with Your Smartphone for high school students since fiscal 2017 to teach them how to effectively use ICTs as a lifeline in the event of a disaster. A social media network was specially created for learning how to share information during the classes. In total, these workshops have been held at 68 schools with over 3,000 participants to date.

Comprehension Questionnaire

Questionnaire content (1) Importance of receiving and sending appropriate information in the event of a disaster
(2) Importance of helping oneself and others in a disaster
(3) Need to pay attention to information communication in everyday life too

Results (FY2022)

Understood very well Understood well Did not understand very well Did not understand
77.0% 22.4% 0.5% 0.1%

Percentage of Positive Responses

Understood very well, well
99.4%

Initiatives to Bridge the Digital Divide with the Goal of Ensuring Comfortable Lifestyles

In recent years, as society undergoes digitalization to enhance the convenience and satisfaction of daily life, an issue has emerged in the form of disparities resulting from differences in access to and proficiency in digital technology, known as the "digital divide." Since 2012, KDDI has been offering visiting lectures targeting seniors who either do not own smartphones or feel uncertain about operating them. These sessions enable them to learn basic operational skills and how to use smartphones safely and securely through hands-on experience using an au smartphone. We offer three courses: "Smartphone Course for Seniors," "Course for Learning Disaster Prevention Measures," and "Course for Consumer Affairs Center." The total number of sessions conducted to date is approximately 1,900, with over 30,000 participants.

As part of our regional co-creation efforts, we, in collaboration with Hidaka Village in Kochi Prefecture, CHANGE Holdings, Inc., and KDDI, established the general incorporated association "Marugoto Digital" on August 7, 2023, to bridge the digital divide and to promote digital utilization across local governments. In this incorporated association, we collaborate with supporting members from local governments and companies across the country. By combining the knowledge and assets of these stakeholders based on regional issues, we aim to promote the elimination of the digital divide and work towards a future where local residents can lead more convenient and prosperous lives. Please check the following website for information on the activities of this nonprofit organization and how to apply for supporting membership.

Raising awareness of social issues

Cycle Safety Project to Prevent Use of Smartphones While Cycling

The percentage of accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles is on the rise (according to the National Police Agency's Traffic Bureau), and accidents caused by "smartphone while riding a bicycle" and the high cost of compensation for such accidents have become major social issues. At KDDI, in response to this social issue, we aim to solve it from two perspectives: "safe use of bicycles" and "peace of mind in using bicycles." Since September 2017, with the aim of realizing a society where bicycles can be used safely and securely, the KDDI Group has been working on initiatives to prevent the use of smartphones while riding bicycles.
Since March 2019, we have produced a online lesson kit for high school students to prevent smartphone while riding a bicycle, and have been providing it free of charge to school teachers. School teachers themselves can easily conduct the lessons, and students can think about the dangers and problems of the social issue of "smartphone while biking" while experiencing it in real life.

Raising Awareness Activities for the Development of a Recycling-oriented Society

Implemented smartphone disassembly classes

We are organizing smartphone disassembly classes for children with the aim of promoting the key issues of "development of a recycling-oriented society" as outlined in the environmental conservation plan "KDDI Green Plan 2030."
In the classroom, students can learn about KDDI's material recycling initiatives while experiencing a portion of smartphone disassembly. Additionally, by learning about this initiative, they also have an opportunity to gain knowledge about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as environmental, human rights issues, and respect for diversity.

Society
Awareness Raising and Education