Britain's antisocial behaviour needs a Japan lesson
While the UK government fines 'headphone dodgers,' author Emily Bratt argues that true change requires learning from Japan's focus on social harmony and civic responsibility.
At a glance
- Loudcasting plays content without headphones and drives eight in ten UK residents crazy.
- British author Emily Bratt believes fines alone cannot solve the problem of eroded empathy.
- Japan's collectivist culture promotes harmony, and its schools teach personal responsibility through cleaning.
British author Emily Bratt argues that fining 'headphone dodgers' will not solve the UK's antisocial behaviour problem, which she links to a broader erosion of empathy. She contrasts this with her experience living in Japan from 2019 to 2021, where strict social norms promote harmony and group responsibility.
Loudcasting—playing audio, watching videos, or talking on speakerphone without headphones—drives eight in ten UK residents crazy. While Andy Burnham's proposed fines target this behaviour, Bratt believes the root cause is a societal lack of consideration for others rather than just the noise itself.
From her time in Japan, Bratt observed how the UK treats public spaces poorly, noting we watch dogs defecate in the street or use public bathrooms carelessly. In Japan, the principle of meiwaku wo kakenai encourages people to avoid inconveniencing others, and state schools instil personal responsibility by having students clean classrooms and halls.
For the UK crackdown to work, fines must be actively enforced by train managers or police, and social norms must be rebuilt so that consideration becomes instinctive. However, Bratt warns that fines alone could exacerbate the problem by angering disaffected individuals who deliberately rage-bait.
Source: The Guardian Business.
Questions and answers
- What is loudcasting?
- Loudcasting is playing audio, watching videos, or talking on speakerphone in public spaces without headphones.
- What principle guides Japanese behaviour in public?
- The principle of meiwaku wo kakenai encourages people to avoid inconveniencing others.
- How do Japanese schools teach responsibility?
- Students in Japanese state schools are tasked with cleaning classrooms, halls, desks, and bathrooms.
