No More Handshaking: How have COVID-19 pushed the expansion of computer-mediated communication in Japanese idol culture?

TL;DR

This paper examines how COVID-19 accelerated the shift from face-to-face meet-and-greet events to computer-mediated communication in Japanese idol culture, revealing new interaction methods and perceptions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the transition to online interactions in idol culture and suggests new techniques for supporting this shift, with implications for other fields.

Findings

Distinctive online interaction approaches identified

Large perceptual gap between offline and online events

Insights into developing interaction techniques for online performances

Abstract

In Japanese idol culture, meet-and-greet events where fans were allowed to handshake with an idol member for several seconds were regarded as its essential component until the spread of COVID-19. Now, idol groups are struggling in the transition of such events to computer-mediated communication because these events had emphasized meeting face-to-face over communicating, as we can infer from their length of time. I anticipated that investigating this emerging transition would provide implications because their communication has a unique characteristic that is distinct from well-studied situations, such as workplace communication and intimate relationships. Therefore, I first conducted a quantitative survey to develop a precise understanding of the transition, and based on its results, had semi-structured interviews with idol fans about their perceptions of the transition. The survey revealed distinctive approaches, including one where fans gathered at a venue but were isolated from the idol member by an acrylic plate and talked via a video call. Then the interviews not only provided answers to why such an approach would be reasonable but also suggested the existence of a large gap between conventional offline events and emerging online events in their perceptions. Based on the results, I discussed how we can develop interaction techniques to support this transition and how we can apply it to other situations outside idol culture, such as computer-mediated performing arts.