On 10 July 2019, EU Debate Student Club was held in Room 403 of Academia Hall for Social Sciences at Rokkodai campus of Kobe University.
　11 participants first checked some general data on the influence of social media. Participating students commented that they use social media on everyday basis and some noted that social media helps to keep us informed about relevant issues, such as politics. Interestingly, several students said that while they are active social media users, they also keep in touch in a traditional way (such as by sending letters). The debate then explored the issue of how social media changes people's interaction and participants observed some differences between impersonal contacts via email and direct personal meetings. Towards the end of the debate, participants exchanged their views on generational differences in perceiving social media. Participants suggested that it is not ideal if parents restrict too much the time their children spend online. As a participating British professor noted, the view in Europe is that parents should try to take an active interest in what their children do online. In this way, the parents themselves can discover new things about social media. Through this useful and active debate, students could compare both advantages and disadvantages of social media as well as note some common points in social media use among Japan, China and Europe.