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"Hikikomori" is a new psychological phenomenon of the young generation
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Recently, a new phenomenon called "hikikomori" has become increasingly popular among the younger generation. This is the name given to a group of people who have decided to voluntarily become recluses in their own home. They try to have as little contact with the outside world as possible, and the age of "recluses" rarely reaches 32 years.
According to experts, people prone to this form of personality disorder spend almost all their time on the Internet, and only break away to buy food or basic hygiene needs. Usually, such people prefer self-development, watching TV series, reading books, etc., while the vast majority of people with this diagnosis are unemployed, they receive unemployment benefits or depend on their parents, some get by with irregular earnings on the Internet. As psychologists note, a long stay without the Internet has a depressing effect on "recluses", they become more irritable, restless. Most of the voluntary recluses are in Japan, and the authorities are already beginning to show concern about the spread of this phenomenon among the younger generation. People with this mental disorder find it difficult to communicate with other people in person, a large crowd of people causes them depression and a lot of unpleasant feelings, they can not leave their own apartment or room for months or even years. People with such mental disorders usually do not have close friends (or very few - literally one or two people).
According to statistics, there are already more than seven hundred thousand people suffering from hikikomori in Japan, and their number continues to increase every year. Already now, the country is experiencing a trend towards a demographic crisis, since according to sociologists, almost half of married couples do not have sexual relations, and young people do not seek to find their soul mate and start a family. Most young people prefer online communication and loneliness to real romantic relationships. Based on this, the Japanese government has decided to finance programs aimed at developing an effective method of treating this kind of mental disorder. In the Land of the Rising Sun, clinics are already beginning to open that treat this kind of mental illness. It is also worth noting that the reasons why young people withdraw from the outside world are very diverse. Usually, such behavior is facilitated by personal failures (job loss, unhappy love, etc.).
Psychologists who study this phenomenon explain its appearance by youthful maximalism and egocentrism, which is inherent in many young people. As a result, the sense of responsibility for one's own destiny is lost and transferred to the people around. Young people subject to hikikomori simply refuse to be responsible for themselves and their own actions in the real world. Currently, hikikomori people are appearing in other countries, and their number is increasing.