Although I agree with the letter "The problems of living in the digital age" in the Aug. 26 edition, I have a different viewpoint concerning the digital revolution.
While Japan is using digital devices as toys along with their other functions, the world considers them as a means of developing a new phase of the industrial revolution. They have not only been used to improve production efficiency, but also to develop new scientific and technical industries around the world for three decades.
As a result, Japan is known as a creator of the animation industry but has completely missed out on inventing up-to-date technologies. This has left Japan backward and stagnant.
The foremost reason is that Japan has misunderstood the role of English in this new digital world. The world recognizes English as the language of information technology, called "Globalish," and learns it as their second native language. Japan on the other hand still considers it as a foreign language, starting in elementary school when little more than forms of greeting are taught and learned.
The Japanese enjoy their digital devices as toys or for chatting among their friends, which has been the cause of numerous social problems. However, the people of the world get new information and exchange opinions through Globalish, which in turn brings prosperity and helps the world develop. I wonder how long Japan will continue to trail behind the rest of the world.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.