Consumption of Space for Sociality

What is in this Section

Introduction

Social space can be defined as youth dominated or created space for the purpose of identity expression and potential, immediate social interactions. These are spaces that youth “wish to be seen as proper by those around them… [and] are clearly taking one another into account in producing their own behaviors” (Karp, 2015). Within these spaces, there is an amalgamation of youth which is one reason why youth are attracted to and have made these spaces youth centric. As mentioned above, these social spaces are places of retreat for youth, or “‘backstage’ places… away from the adult gaze, where teenagers can pull back and withdraw from the adult world to be with their own peers… Places of interaction… where young people are on display and out and about to see and to be seen by others. Typically, the shopping mall acts as a convenient social theatre providing an important social venue for young people” (Matthews et al., 2000). Youth have transformed regular areas on the roof of Miyashita, unintended for use of a specific demographic, into youth-specific spaces for identity expression and socialization.

The Starbucks Lawn

The Starbucks lawn is more than a place for people to enjoy their coffee; it is the most observed, sought after, and used space by youth in Miyashita. The lawn is long and narrow, connected to the Starbucks line, and the smallest compared to the other rooftop lawns. On a sunny day, the Starbucks roof provides shade over the lawn, and when it rains the roof provides some cover. The roof is the most visited area of Miyashita, and the Starbucks is the most visited place on the roof. Compared to other spaces used by youth like other lawns, ledges, and seats around the roof, youth have transformed the Starbucks Lawn into ‘the cool table’ in the school cafeteria.

(Youth performing coolness and observing others on the Starbucks lawn)

Although any type of youth can go anywhere in Miyashita, the most dominant demographic of youth on the Starbucks lawn are more fashionable, older youth (19-24), couples, and small numbers of large groups. The Starbucks lawn is the most sought after spot mainly because it is inhabited by older, more secure individuals who are confident enough to be in a tight area surrounded by other youth. These older individuals are more likely to drink and smoke comfortably in this area and exhibit effortless, upright, confident posture. They constantly fix their appearance and try to be as cool or attractive as possible. They talk boisterously loudly and observe everyone around them. Mainly large groups of high schoolers dressed in their uniforms can be seen nervously sipping their drinks on the outskirts of the lawn, visibly observing the scene and deciding whether they should sit in the thick of it all or retreat to a more open area such as the ledges. They always retreat.

Dominant Youth Demographics

(A nervous group of young schoolgirls awkwardly leaning against the fence, contemplating whether they will sit down on the Starbucks lawn)

Couples, on the other hand, thrive on the lawn because they can confidently perform their intimacy in the view of others. Due to the spectacle of Miyashita’s rooftop, the space is perfect for dates. Couples find the Starbucks lawn an enticing stage to perform their exclusive intimacy. They may drink together, lay down, or perform public displays of affection (PDA) like kissing, hugging, or cuddling. As much as they are looking into each other's eyes, couples look more at the people observing them compared to a group of friends who are enveloped in conversation. Young couples gravitate to the lawn to perform their intimate status compared to other youth who may be performing their close friendships.

Lastly, small numbers of large groups can be found on, mainly on the ends of, the Starbucks lawn. Since the lawn can be dominated by pairs of friends or couples, it is difficult for large groups to exist on the lawn. The narrow space and large amounts of people may make a group stand out too much in close proximity with everyone else. Groups feel most comfortable on the ends of the lawn where they are less distracted by the people in the middle while still being in a hyper-social, ‘cooler’ space. Members of a group create a boundary, usually through a circle, where they are free to drink, smoke, talk loudly, or lay down.

Ways Youth Dominate the Starbucks Lawn

1. Public displays of affection create an obvious boundary of intimacy that deters other non-intimate youth, and especially adults, from being in the same space. In the case of the lawn, youth choose to do PDA in such a populated area to perform their intimacy creating a larger area of personal space than if there was no PDA. Most non-couples would feel uncomfortable being in such close proximity to PDA, and an adult would feel even more uncomfortable. Adults still do PDA; however, they choose more isolated areas such as the double wire seats or benches around the border of the roof that lack the concentration of attention and sociality of the Starbucks lawn. Adults are deterred from the Starbucks lawn due to PDA because they have no desire to perform intimacy in a youth dominated space where other youth are also doing PDA.

Couple performing PDA and creating a larger social boundary taking up more space. In most cases, intimacy warrants privacy. This couple is being outwardly intimate by spilling onto the concrete and being as comfortable as possible, which makes people avoid getting close to them since a sense of privacy, in the form of space left between the couple and others, is expected.

2. The artificial grass of the Starbucks lawn permits people to lay down, however youth choose to lay down even if it consumes more space than one needs which creates a larger personal space and ultimately denotes the area as careless or too casual for adult use. Although the Starbucks lawn is the most popular space for youth to interact, its small size makes it an exclusive first-come-first-serve dynamic. The expectation is that the personal space of others is considered to provide the most opportunities for people to sit down comfortably. However, youth use laying down as a mechanism to gain attention. Adults have no desire to gain youth attention, and therefore they would not lay down in such a crowded space. Youth’s consumption of excess amounts of space prevents other youth from enjoying the area as a hub for youth sociality while deterring adults from occupying such a youth-specific, casual space.

Ways Youth Dominate the Starbucks Lawn

Tower Records-Facing Ledges

Similarly to the Starbucks Lawn, the location of this long stretch of ledges, as being in the center of the roof and at the top of the main stairs, makes it an attractive space for youth due to its obviously visible nature. Since youth want to be “out and about to see and to be seen by others” (Matthews et al., 2000), the fact that many people see this area, whether they want to or not, makes it stand out as a congregation point for youth consumption. The demographics and ways in which youth dominate this ledge area will now be discussed.

(Masses of youth turning the ledges into an observable stage)

Dominant Youth Demographics

The main demographic of Tower Records-facing ledges is youth on the younger side: about 14-18. These youth look visibly younger than the ones on the Starbucks lawn and signify their younger age through school uniforms, simpler or casual fashion, and quiet, conserved body language. Most youth in this area do not drink or smoke and they also do not laugh as loudly.

Another prevalent demographic of these ledges is the dominance of very large groups of boys and girls or groups of girls in school uniforms. Groups of 10 or more can congregate on these ledges to signify their in-group status as friends or members of the same school. Due to the confidence that being in a large group can provide for young individuals, large groups feel comfortable and are attracted to the centrality of and attention to the ledge. This is also a space that is consistently used by groups of schoolgirls. Many schoolgirls perform kawai-ness in the view of others and feel comfortable being seen by so many people due to the confidence provided by groupness.

Lastly, these ledges are consistently dominated by youth Tik Tokers. Since the ledges are primarily used by younger youth, many participate in the trend of creating Tik Tok videos. These videos consist of full on, standing dances, or they can be seated hand movements. The flow or people in the background of Tik Toks, or the background of Tower Records makes the ledges a popular destination for Tik Tokers to flock to in order to create their videos.

Ways Youth Dominate the Ledges

1. Youth nampa deters adults and other youth from inhabiting the space. Since the ledges are a place of youth interaction, especially among younger youth, with a concentration of schoolgirls, the ledges are a perfect place for nampa. Youth want to interact with one another, and being aware of this space as a potential area to pick up or be picked up by someone makes it popular. Adults or other youth who may be more introverted or anti-social are deterred from the overwhelming amount of obvious, sociality or youth specific action like nampa. During one night of fieldwork, a pair of boys were approaching a large group of girls who were congregating around the ledges. One of the boys made a scene by getting on his knees and audibly begging the girl for her Instagram handle. An adult couple on a nearby bench were unavoidably entertained by the scene, but could not help but scoff at the entire situation. They made sure to stay away from the ledges as they knew they would awkwardly stand out within such a youth dominated space. Therefore, nampa is one way that youth keep adults out from these ledges.

(An attention-grabbing scene where a boy pulls his friend away from a group of schoolgirls for performing loud, begging nampa. The boy was on his knees, loudly asking a girl for her Instagram. The girls giggled in response.)

2. Additionally, Tik Tok performances turn the space into a stage where people are hesitant to enter or breach. These ledges are a popular destination for Tik Tok dances potentially because it shows many people in the background or because Tik Tokers can show off their dances in public. However, doing Tik Toks makes others hesitant to exist close to the area of the camera because they do not want to intrude on the video. For example, many, mainly older people, who are more foreign to Tik Tok culture can be seen approaching the backdrop of two girls performing a dance on the ledges and then stopping as to allow the girls to finish their video. Within the space itself, adults and other non-Tik Tokers do not sit in close proximity (such as the cramped Starbucks lawn) to people making Tik Toks. Therefore, doing a full on Tik Tok dance takes up more space, preventing people from being in that space. And since doing Tik Tok dances is usually characteristic of young people, adults would feel uncomfortable existing in that space.

(Two schoolgirls creating a Tik Tok while sitting on the floor next to the ledges. No one is around them.)

3. Similarly to laying down on the Starbucks lawn, many youth completely sit or lay down on floor of this ledge area which increases their personal space and denotes the area as careless or too casual in the eyes of adults. Although this ledge area is completely made of concrete, youth choose to sit or lay down even if there is space to sit on the ledges. This makes youth and adults, who want to be seen as proper, deterred from the area since a ‘proper’ person would never lay on the ground. During one very busy day on the roof, a group of girls were approaching the ledge area to sit down and were followed by an adult couple also looking to sit down. As both groups approached one of the only open seats on the ledges, the young girls, who were in front of the couple, chose to sit on the ground. The couple was visibly confused by the girls’ choice, and although the couple could have sat in the open space, they chose to keep walking and find another place to rest. The young decision to sit on the ground, instead of a place meant for sitting, prevented the older couple from being close to and potentially associated with someone who would rather lie on the ground than sit in a seat. Youth’s act of lying down creates a sense of carelessness and lack of consideration for others which youth can get away with more than adults due to their lack of maturity and less expectations to abide by norms of use of public space.

Conclusion

Youth dominate certain spaces to manifest an open, comfortable area for them to socialize and express their identities. Abbott-Chapman mentions that “subjective perceptions and meanings of physical space are in constant interaction and re-formation because space, like time, is culturally defined, with perceptual and physical boundaries which are dynamically related to action” (Abbott-Chapman & Robertson, 2009). It is youth’s action within these specific spaces on the roof that makes them culturally defined as youth specific space. Use of privately owned space like malls and parks are preferred by youth to “reflect relatively mainstream desires, such as to be safe, to interact with other young people, and to feel a sense of possibility and choice, which they cannot successfully enact in other spaces” (Vanderbeck & Johnson, 2000). Youth feel safe and confident enough to express themselves and to participate in socialization with both in and out group peers compared to other open public spaces. Dominance of the mentioned lawn and ledge spaces, and the park in general, define Miyashita as youth-specific and prevents adults from existing in such spaces.