Seven Standen
As the outside world becomes increasingly complicated and overwhelming, many of us withdraw to the safety of the inside world instead. We become lonely, isolated, and unable to connect with other people. Even if we live with family or work from home, it’s easy to become a one-man island. But could this new phenomenon in the UK be similar to a huge problem in South East Asia?
In Japan, severe social withdrawal has been a problem since the 1970s. The number of hikikomoris (also referred to ‘social recluses’ in English) has increased rapidly over the last three decades. Today, it’s estimated half a million of the country’s youth are affected. But nowadays, social withdrawal isn’t only a problem in Japan.
South Korea also hosts over 0.5 million recluses, with young people being the most likely to withdraw from society. China has the same problem, due to Millennials and Gen Z feeling overwhelmed and defeated by work. These individuals, who reject the cultural pressure to overwork and overachieve, are known as tang ping (literally ‘lying flat’). Tang ping was one of the top memes on Chinese social media in 2021.
Even in the UK, there’s a trend (especially among young people) towards severe social withdrawal. Just under 50 per cent of adults feel lonely ‘occasionally, sometimes, often or always‘. The rates of ‘chronic loneliness’ are higher than they were during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of these factors suggest the UK might be a breeding ground for hikikomoris, as an increasing number of people become isolated and unable to cope with daily life.
What Is A Hikikomori?
Translated as “pulling inward” or “being confined”, a hikikomori refers to a social recluse, who has withdrawn from society and become isolated from the outside world. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, to fit the definition, the individual must isolate themself in a single room for more than six months. Hikikomoris do not go to school or work, commonly residing in their parents’ home.
When diagnosing hikikomoris, the following symptoms are screened for:
- Spending most of the day and nearly every day confined to home
- Marked and persistent avoidance of social situations and social relationships
- Social withdrawal symptoms causing significant functional impairment
- No apparent physical or mental aetiology to account for the social withdrawal symptoms
Expanding on the last symptom, experts do not consider disabled individuals or those with particular mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia) to be hikikomoris. It is also distinct from agoraphobia, where people avoid certain places or situations. A key aspect of the hikikomori condition is there being no psychological problems causing them to withdraw from the outside world. It is a social problem, rather than a psychiatric one.
Hikikomoris are typically adolescent males, often intelligent but lacking motivation. Their extreme isolation is self-imposed and they refuse to communicate with anyone, including the family they live with. It’s common for them to have unusual sleeping patterns and refuse to make eye contact. In order to survive, they are highly dependent on one or both parents, who take care of their primary needs (such as food). Originally, it was believed only young people were hikikomoris — but many of them have continued their seclusion long into adulthood.
Why Do People Become Hikikomoris?
Decreasing desire and motivation is cited as a major cause, like the young people ‘lying flat’ in China. Most hikikomoris have a profound sense of apathy, feel disillusioned by the world, and struggle to describe their own identity. It is speculated they withdraw from the world because they don’t know who they are or what they want to do. Alternatively, they might know, but fear they will fail or struggle to fit in. This may explain why hikikomoris withdraw from the world when they’re on the cusp of adulthood, letting them stay a child forever.
Japan also has a collectivist culture, where the needs of the group are valued over the individual. Hikikomoris may either fear letting the majority down or be reluctant to sacrifice their happiness for the sake of others. The pressure to both conform and endure hardship, required by Japanese culture, is refuted by hikikomoris.
“Hikikomoris see no value in working”
The other causes are economic comfort and less strict childrearing. Because they can live comfortably at home, looked after by their parents, hikikomoris see no value in working or leaving. Modern Japanese families are smaller, typically only having one child. This means they have their own bedroom, where they can hide. Their parents have the capacity to dote on them. Japanese children are closely attached to their mothers, which may make it more difficult to leave home, and hikikomoris often have overprotective families.
At the same time, many hikikomoris have dysfunctional family relationships. More than half of hikikomoris actively reject a family member, while others are demanding of them. One in five show violent behaviour. They also struggle with peers and are bullied or shunned at school.
Is Hikikomori Culture Hiding A Bigger Problem?
Many symptoms of the hikikomori condition can be attributed to psychiatric disorders. Avoiding contact with others, lacking motivation and disturbed sleep are all symptoms of depression. Most hikikomoris struggle with school or work, as well as their relationships with others, which could result in depression or anxiety. Child psychiatrists speculated that hikikomoris may fit a range of other diagnoses:
- Pervasive development disorder (31 per cent)
- Generalised anxiety disorder (10 per cent)
- Dysthymia disorder (10 per cent)
- Adjustment disorder (nine per cent)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (nine per cent)
- Schizophrenia (nine percent)
Blaming the individual for their isolation may be an example of Japan’s greater failure to understand mental health problems. Only six per cent of Japanese people have psychological counselling, compared to 52 per cent in Europe and the US. Among those diagnosed, 80 per cent receive no mental health support.
Mental health is incredibly stigmatised in Japan. It is largely believed that mental health problems are incurable and those with them should be avoided. Because the ability to endure difficult situations is valued in Japanese culture, people with mental illnesses can be labelled as ‘weak’. They may be chastised for struggling.
It’s possible many hikikomoris suffer from mental health problems, rather than a unique social condition. In this case, treatment or support could help them return to normal life. But the difficulties accessing mental health care in Japan, as well as the stigma attached, may prevent people from doing so.
Does The UK Face A Similar Problem?
Regardless of why people become social recluses, it is no longer limited to Japan. Like South Korea and China, many young people in the UK are withdrawing from the world, feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Posts online about ‘bed rotting’ and Gen Z’s obsession with nihilism suggests a general trend towards hikikomori attitudes. An increasing number of people experience ‘feelings of hopelessness’ and spend more time away from work.
Major life changes, such as leaving school or university, is one of the biggest causes of social isolation. This is amplified for those not in education, training or employment (NEET). The difficult job market and lack of economic opportunity has resulted in a generation that feels defeated before they even start.
School refusal is also an increasing problem in the UK, with 22 per cent of children now persistently absent. Not only does this cause cognitive delays, it means children become isolated and struggle to socialise. Truancy is often the first manifestation of social withdrawal and 69 per cent of hikikomori cases start out with school refusal. School refusers may lack the qualifications to work or attend higher education, so they stay at home permanently.
Many aspects of the hikikomori lifestyle have also become mainstream. There is a trend towards young people never leaving home, with 58 per cent of males and 68 per cent of females aged 20 living with their parents. By the age of 30, the numbers drop to 15 and five per cent respectively. The lack of opportunities to pursue a successful career or move out of the family home results in a lack of motivation to work.
As long-term sickness hits an all-time high and the UK becomes a ‘burnt out’ nation, Japan is far from the only country to fear a hikikomori problem.
Featured image courtesy of Jonas Leupe on Unsplash No changes made to image. Image license here.
Seven Standen
Seven (they/them) is a BA History and Sociology student at the University of Warwick. They are a freelance journalist, disability advocate, and lover of cats.