In Osaka, a middle school teacher reported that students reenacted a scene from a "badly made" YouTube prank channel that involved dumping trash on a homeless person. The students laughed, not realizing the "prank" was staged and ethically disgusting. They had lost the ability to distinguish between satire and sadism because the media they consume is morally hollow.
While Shonen Jump offers heroic tales of friendship and perseverance, a significant chunk of anime aimed at older teens (seinen and dark shonen) has veered into what critics call "trauma porn." Shows like Wonder Egg Priority or The Rising of the Shield Hero use graphic depictions of bullying, self-harm, and sexual assault not as nuanced plot points, but as cheap emotional shortcuts to seem "mature." In Osaka, a middle school teacher reported that
: Has seen a massive 56% growth since 2023, now reaching over 75% of 13–19-year-olds. It serves as the go-to "social discovery" hub where bite-sized, 15-60 second videos drive immediate trend adoption. While Shonen Jump offers heroic tales of friendship