Abstract:

In Japan, numerous smartphone applications have been developed to deliver disaster warnings and crime-prevention information, supporting safer daily living and contributing to disaster literacy and preparedness education. Previous studies show that 55% of smartphone owners have installed disaster-related applications, with adoption exceeding 65% among adults in their 60s and 70s (n = 1,870). In contrast, the installation rate among people in their twenties remains substantially lower at 39% (n = 735). This study aims to clarify why young adults do not actively use these practical applications and to explore implications for improving their effectiveness as tools for disaster education.

Two investigations were conducted with university students. A web-based questionnaire survey (n = 177) examined self-evaluated abilities to obtain and understand risk information, disaster and evacuation experiences, awareness of disaster-related applications, and actual usage patterns. An in-person interview study (n = 28) evaluated the usability of a crime-prevention application to identify functional and operational issues.

The questionnaire showed that 63.2% of students rated their ability to receive warning information during an impending disaster at six or higher on an 11-point scale. However, when presented with four major disaster-related applications widely used in Japan, installation rates were low—37.5%, 21.2%, 14.5%, and 23.5%. Even for the most commonly installed app, only two participants reported daily use, and only six used it at least once a week, meaning that regular users accounted for about 20% of respondents. These results suggest that young adults may believe they can obtain essential warnings without relying on official, high-credibility applications, indicating a potential overestimation of their information-reception ability.

For the crime-prevention application, the “member registration” function, which shares users’ current locations with registered family members or acquaintances, received positive evaluations (“very reassuring” 57.1%; “somewhat reassuring” 27.6%). The “coupon feature,” which provides discount offers for local stores, also motivated app engagement (“strongly motivating” 25%; “somewhat motivating” 42.9%). In contrast, the avatar reward system based on login points received negative evaluations from nearly 70% of participants. These findings indicate that practical, real-world functions—such as location sharing, safety tools, and usable coupons—are more effective in encouraging app use than gamified in-app rewards.

Overall, the study reveals a clear discrepancy between young adults’ high confidence in their ability to receive hazard information and their low usage of risk-information applications. A slight negative correlation was found between self-evaluated information-reception ability and installation of disaster-related applications. The findings suggest that enhancing real-world utility is essential for promoting continuous use. These insights provide valuable implications for improving the design of disaster- and crime-prevention applications targeting younger populations.

Keywords:

Risk-information apps, Disaster preparedness, University students, Disaster education.