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Comment by smtddr | Hacker News Reader

What's going on in Japan is a bit more severe than the western world's version. It came to a point where videos like these were made - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSq0XOHxJsQ Note the top comment made 4 years ago. While depression definitely exists globally, I don't think I've heard of videos like these being made for any place other than Japan. If I'm wrong though, please correct me.

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I find this version better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A12dH72757U

Don't know what she say but I was paying attention :).

She says, ｢零れてるよ｣ (kobore teru yo) at the end. Which means, "It's spilling."

It's used as you'd expect: to let somebody know if a sink is overflowing or if a bag tears open and things are falling out.

In the context of the video... I have no fucking clue.

Hah, nice one :)

What is the intended effect of that video? A proxy for human interaction?

It was marketed as behavioral therapy, to help people get over psychological aversions to e.g. eye contact. This may or may not have been a smokescreen over other reasons why people would purchase that video. (Source: it was covered in general Japanese media some years ago.)

They are selling it as a method for getting over shyness or fear of strangers (人見知り)

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00166NB0I/

It seems like an incredibly odd method for getting used to human interaction. Showing a bizarre staring video instead of actual human interaction.

I don't know anything about Japanese culture but just based on whatever random bits I've picked up - it doesn't surprise me to see a video or a robot used to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation with a depressed person.

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