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（英会話リスニングスクリプト）
There are several new fashions among the
cool young girls of Japan, or Kogyal, as people call them.
Perhaps the most practical and affordable
new device is the pager or beeper.
Until recently, pagers were mainly used
for business purposes, but recent data reveals that 80%
of users are in their teens or early twenties.
Pagers are banned at many schools but the
new, vibrating pagers are difficult for teachers to find.
Students find pagers convenient tools to
organize events or just to send brief messages to friends.
This kind of technology has resulted in
"faceless" communication in a similar way to Internet
chat sites.
As a result, there is a new kind of friend,
the bell-tomo.
Usually bell-tomos never meet, but there
is an obvious risk of danger to the user.
However, "Bell-bonding" reflects
the user's need not to feel lonely and can be seen as a
convenient way to reduce stress.
Another technological advance which most
teenage girls enjoy is the Print Club, puri-kura in kogyal
slang.
This is a photo booth which takes tiny Polaroids
on a sheet-sticker for \300-500.
Erina, a 16-year-old has collected nearly
600 in an album.
"Puri-kura" she says, "is
a good conversation starter. When I meet someone new I say,
"Gimme one, here's mine" then we look through
each others' albums. It makes it easier to make friends."
Print club seems to be to the kogyal what
the business card is to her father, a way of introducing
yourself to people of similar social groups.
Is it here to stay or just a passing fashion?
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