Serious teen chatter

"Shinkenjudai Shaberiba" is a debate variety program that aired on NHK Educational Television (now NHK E-TV) from 1999 to 2006. The show was about teenagers getting together and having an honest discussion about their thoughts and concerns.

Features of the program
Theme: Each episode has a theme that teenage viewers can easily relate to, such as "What is a friend?", "Future dreams", "Bullying", "Love", etc., and participants discuss based on it.
Format: The facilitator was only responsible for coordinating the flow of the discussion, and the discussion was entirely dominated by the teenage participants. The feature of this program was that there were no adults participating, and teens could exchange opinions in real life.
Rules of the speaking room: Basic rules such as "express your opinion seriously", "listen to the opinions of others", and "do not run away from discussions" were emphasized and serious discussions were held.
The impact of the show
"Serious Teen Talk" had a great influence on the young people of the time, raising awareness about the social issues and personal problems they faced. It also served as a place for young people to have their own opinions, share them with others, and convey the importance of dialogue.

participant
Participating in the program were teenagers selected from all over the country, and people from various backgrounds and environments participated in the discussion. In particular, many viewers sympathized with the appearance of them discussing in the "talking room", and at times it has become a social phenomenon.

Successor Programs
Even after the program ended, NHK has been broadcasting discussion programs for young people with a similar concept, but there are few programs that have the same impact as "Serious Teenage Talking Place", and many people still feel nostalgic about it.

The program has been praised for its high educational significance in that it taught young people the importance of expressing their opinions.