[Voting Starts] Is public support necessary for those who cannot own a smartphone? Questioning "digital divide" and the nature of self-reliance support
Polimill Inc. has launched an issue on its digital democracy platform "Surfvote," soliciting opinions on whether public support is necessary for people who cannot own smartphones. The initiative aims to visualize citizens' opinions on the digital divide and the ideal form of support in a society where smartphones have become essential for daily life.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 03:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 18:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 18:52 (20 min after Collected)
Polimill Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo / Representative Directors: Ayame Ito, Nonoka Taniguchi), which promotes the social implementation of generative AI, has launched the issue "Is public support necessary for those who cannot own a smartphone?" on its digital democracy platform "Surfvote," and has begun soliciting opinions.
What is Surfvote?
Surfvote is a digital democracy platform that organizes issues concerning social problems and public policies, allowing readers to visualize their intentions by "reading, thinking, and voting."
Based on articles by experts and the editorial department, users can deepen their opinions by encountering different perspectives and values. It aims to provide a "deliberation space" to understand the underlying ideas, not just to engage in pros and cons debates.
▶︎Surfvote website here
Introducing a part of this article
- The reality that smartphones have become a "prerequisite for social participation"
In modern society, smartphones have become indispensable for job searching, communication, and various procedures. There are cases where people lose employment opportunities and connections with society are cut off because they do not have a phone number, making smartphones not just communication devices but "living infrastructure."
- Challenges and realities of supporting those struggling with communication access
Services that support those struggling with communication access as private businesses have mechanisms in place that can be used even by people who find traditional contracts difficult, such as no credit card requirement and flexible payment methods. On the other hand, strict management, including identity verification and prevention of fraudulent use, is required, and operation involves high expertise and burden.
- The balance between public support and self-reliance support
Regarding public support for people who cannot own smartphones, some argue that it is necessary as a basic infrastructure for social reintegration. However, there are also concerns that free support could foster dependence and increase the administrative burden. The question is how much should be publicly supported and how much should be left to individual or private efforts.
Would you like to vote on Surfvote?
The reality is that for those who cannot own a smartphone, options for work and life are limited. On the other hand, there are various perspectives on "how support should be provided."
- "I think smartphones are essential living infrastructure, so minimum public support is necessary."
- "Support is needed, but it should be structured to lead to self-reliance, not just be free."
- "If private services can handle it, the government should not interfere too much."
- "Without support, people might not even be able to reach the starting line for social reintegration."
- "Along with support, assistance with usage and life reconstruction is also necessary."
What choice should we make regarding support for those who cannot own smartphones?
Surfvote is soliciting opinions from various standpoints. Please share your thoughts by voting and commenting.
▼Vote here
https://surfvote.com/issues/zpkk5wlg9vg4
Author Profile
Kaori Nakano
Journalist, Visiting Researcher at Waseda University's Institute for Design in Participation. Worked for a newspaper for over 20 years, covering life, medical care, and labor. Author of "The Miracle Born from 'I Love Dance!' - Anna-sensei and Love Junx's Challenge," which followed the intersection of disabled people and the entertainment world; "Report on Changes in Children's Places and Learning: What We Learned from the 'Corona School Closure Shock 2020' That We Need"; reports such as "Resilience Learned from Fukushima 10 Years After 3.11" and "The Role of New Media in Social Contribution Activities"; "Together with You," a 10-year account of home-visit parenting support Home Start; and a paper "Research on Sustainable Employment for People with Disabilities from the Field in Germany and Japan" for Waseda University Graduate School of Social Sciences. Contributed to Kodansha FRaU, HuffPost, Forbes, etc.
About Polimill Inc.
Polimill Inc. has a mission to "create the future we want to leave behind together" and is working to create a new decision-making mechanism that combines generative AI and citizen participation.
Through the operation of the digital democracy platform "Surfvote," the company aims to visualize diverse opinions on social issues and provide a space for deliberation.
Official website: https://www.polimill.jp/
Inquiries: https://www.polimill.jp/company-profile/
What is Surfvote?
Surfvote is a digital democracy platform that organizes issues concerning social problems and public policies, allowing readers to visualize their intentions by "reading, thinking, and voting."
Based on articles by experts and the editorial department, users can deepen their opinions by encountering different perspectives and values. It aims to provide a "deliberation space" to understand the underlying ideas, not just to engage in pros and cons debates.
▶︎Surfvote website here
Introducing a part of this article
- The reality that smartphones have become a "prerequisite for social participation"
In modern society, smartphones have become indispensable for job searching, communication, and various procedures. There are cases where people lose employment opportunities and connections with society are cut off because they do not have a phone number, making smartphones not just communication devices but "living infrastructure."
- Challenges and realities of supporting those struggling with communication access
Services that support those struggling with communication access as private businesses have mechanisms in place that can be used even by people who find traditional contracts difficult, such as no credit card requirement and flexible payment methods. On the other hand, strict management, including identity verification and prevention of fraudulent use, is required, and operation involves high expertise and burden.
- The balance between public support and self-reliance support
Regarding public support for people who cannot own smartphones, some argue that it is necessary as a basic infrastructure for social reintegration. However, there are also concerns that free support could foster dependence and increase the administrative burden. The question is how much should be publicly supported and how much should be left to individual or private efforts.
Would you like to vote on Surfvote?
The reality is that for those who cannot own a smartphone, options for work and life are limited. On the other hand, there are various perspectives on "how support should be provided."
- "I think smartphones are essential living infrastructure, so minimum public support is necessary."
- "Support is needed, but it should be structured to lead to self-reliance, not just be free."
- "If private services can handle it, the government should not interfere too much."
- "Without support, people might not even be able to reach the starting line for social reintegration."
- "Along with support, assistance with usage and life reconstruction is also necessary."
What choice should we make regarding support for those who cannot own smartphones?
Surfvote is soliciting opinions from various standpoints. Please share your thoughts by voting and commenting.
▼Vote here
https://surfvote.com/issues/zpkk5wlg9vg4
Author Profile
Kaori Nakano
Journalist, Visiting Researcher at Waseda University's Institute for Design in Participation. Worked for a newspaper for over 20 years, covering life, medical care, and labor. Author of "The Miracle Born from 'I Love Dance!' - Anna-sensei and Love Junx's Challenge," which followed the intersection of disabled people and the entertainment world; "Report on Changes in Children's Places and Learning: What We Learned from the 'Corona School Closure Shock 2020' That We Need"; reports such as "Resilience Learned from Fukushima 10 Years After 3.11" and "The Role of New Media in Social Contribution Activities"; "Together with You," a 10-year account of home-visit parenting support Home Start; and a paper "Research on Sustainable Employment for People with Disabilities from the Field in Germany and Japan" for Waseda University Graduate School of Social Sciences. Contributed to Kodansha FRaU, HuffPost, Forbes, etc.
About Polimill Inc.
Polimill Inc. has a mission to "create the future we want to leave behind together" and is working to create a new decision-making mechanism that combines generative AI and citizen participation.
Through the operation of the digital democracy platform "Surfvote," the company aims to visualize diverse opinions on social issues and provide a space for deliberation.
Official website: https://www.polimill.jp/
Inquiries: https://www.polimill.jp/company-profile/