Hikikomori in the Noosphere
Hikikomori (ひきこもりor 引き籠もり) literally means “pulling inward, being confined”, i.e., “acute social withdrawal” is a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive young adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of physical isolation, and typically confining themselves in the homes of their parents; has been a prominent public mental health concern in the 21st Century. The term “hikikomori” refers to both the sociological phenomenon in general as well as to people belonging to this societal group.
My design practice has so far been about sociability and digitality, which stems from my educational background and heavy everyday use of technology. I believe the social norms and gripes of those whose company I keep are a manifestation of Hikikomori through the cultural lens of “not Japan”; I also see it taking greatly altered but recognisable forms even among those who think themselves extroverted. This hypothesis comes from me, an early native of the new hyper-connected world we live in: the Noosphere, into which humanity must adapt and survive.
Japan’s population currently stands at 127,253,075 (July 2013 estimate in the CIA World Factbook). Various figures by the Japanese government, such as the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health, put the number of hikikomori sufferers between 3.6 million to a quarter million people. It is estimated that while the condition is prevalent amongst “young adults”, the mean age group is 30 years of age.
What exactly is this widespread phenomena that grips Japan? Among the criteria to be considered hikikomori:
- spending most of the day and nearly every day confined to home,
- marked and persistent avoidance of social situations,
- symptoms interfering significantly with the person’s normal routine, occupational (or academic) functioning, or social activities or relationships,
- perceiving the withdrawal as egosyntonic,
- duration at least six months,
- no other mental disorder that accounts for the social withdrawal and avoidance.
“My generation doesn’t bring private problems to the workplace. (Or anywhere else,) It’s a kind of unwritten law.”
Yamada’s father (62)
Even though self-isolation is a criteria to be considered hikikomori, it actually makes it more difficult to find and reach them. Adolescent hikikomori, are understandably sheltered by their parents. A joint paper in 2010 by psychologists from around the world showed that Japanese psychiatrists suggested treatment in outpatient wards and some did not think that psychiatric treatment is necessary; but psychiatrists in other countries opted for more active treatment such as hospitalisation. Therefore it is foreseeable that only the most extreme cases are attended to by Japanese psychiatrists, the low-key hikikomori are then ignored, and hidden away and their parents are often reluctant to talk about the problem, it is extremely difficult to gauge the number accurately.
Outside of work, the person with Modern-type Depression (see next section) continues their social life as before, even as they find themselves unable to go back to work. In other words, they do not suffer from generalised anxiety or anhedonia (inability to enjoy anything in life). This leads older Japanese to dismiss the MTDs as lazy or spoiled, because the depression is often triggered by demands at work the young worker cannot meet. Although not hikikomori, the causes of the two are common to each other, hence worth discussing.
Hattori argues that none of his patients had been sexually or physically abused, yet they all show signs of posttraumatic stress disorder: hikikomori may be caused by emotionally neglectful parenting. It is common in most Asian families to downplay psychiatric conditions and pass it off as a “phase”, in Japan this is characterised by the “honne (本音) & tatamae (建前, literally ‘façade’)”. This lack of awareness of mental conditions may be the cause of the hikikomori not seeking help as they believe themselves to be “beyond help”.
It is estimated lifetime prevalence of hikikomori is 1.2%, which puts the estimated figure of core hikikomori in Japan at 1.27 million people.
Modern-type Depression
“Hikikomori looks more to me like an extreme case of social anxiety / in Japan, the pressure to succeed is a unique cultural source of trauma.” Hikikomori may have manifested in Japan as a product of social self-check and balances individuals have due to the peer pressure culture of not wanting to embarrass themselves in relation to the success of others. We will see this self-comparison phenomena repeated when I discuss “Facebook envy”. The assumption made in the early 21st Century, that Hikikomori was an isolated cultural artefact in Japan, was challenged in the next decade.
In Malaysia & Singapore, there is a social phenomenon known as “kiasu” where people would take extreme measures to achieve success for fear of being judged by their peers; kiasuism could be the reaction of people resisting this particularly local brand of hikikomori.
Japan is quite different from the U.S. and Europe, with a homogeneous populace and a culture rooted in Confucian values and social hierarchies. Despite the many differences, including definitions of depression, I think it is self evident that the rising insecurity and workplace changes in Japan result from long-term economic stagnation. I suspect “new-type depression” may have some universal aspects, as rising insecurity and new demands in the workplace characterise Western economies as well.
This “peer pressure culture” is prevalent in Oriental Culture, particularly China and South Korea. “Both have Confucian roots that nurture strong family ties. Italy and Spain also have close families, and there, too, Saitō says, hikikomori-like withdrawal is common. In the more self-consciously individualistic societies, led by the United States, people who fall through the cracks are apt to end up alone on the street. In Japan, for better or worse, there’s usually the family to fall back on.”
“Eastern and Western psychologists agree only that hikikomori is unique to Japan and has serious ramifications for both generations.”
Kary (2003)
Another, more recent, concern is a syndrome dubbed “modern-type depression” (MTD), or new-type depression (NTD). This catchy name has quickly and widely spread to the public via Japan’s mass media and internet-related media, yet there is no consensus guideline for its diagnosis and treatment.
“Modern-type depression” is characterised by
- a shift in values from collectivism to individualism
- distress and reluctance to accept prevailing social norms
- a vague sense of omnipotence
- avoidance of effort and strenuous work
“We suggest hikikomori may be considered a culture-bound syndrome and merits further international research into whether it meets accepted criteria as a new psychiatric disorder.”
A Proposal for DSM5 (Dec 2010)
I reject the notion that hikikomori & modern-type depression is a Japan-only phenomenon. A psychiatric investigation carried out in December 2010, showed that hikikomori syndrome is perceived as occurring across a variety of cultures by psychiatrists in multiple countries.
“Worldwide shifts of lifestyles and in social life are in the background of the growing hikikomori phenomenon”
Kato
One might assume Hikikomori is exclusively related to Japanese culture because of the social and cultural pressures unique to Japan, but the adverse could be true: Hikikomori could manifest if the hyper-connected culture of Japan becomes more prevalent in the globalised world.
Hikikomori is not exclusively related to Japanese culture, people who have all the characteristics of a hikikomori have also been observed in Oman, Spain, Italy, South Korea, the US and France. Dr Marie-Jeanne Guedj Bourdiau, head of the psychiatric unit at the Hôpital Saint-Anne in Paris, has registered “about 30 cases in the past 15 months concerning adolescents of 16 or over”, and describes 21 instances of social seclusion, all but one of whom were visited at home following a request from the family.
Hikikomori experts in Japan are looking forward to the year 2030, when the “first generation” of hikikomori sufferers reach the age of 65, their parents probably dead and unable to support them. Combined with Japan’s falling population, and the birth rate in decline, how will these “shut ins” will cope with the outside world? In a recent web article, Walton has pointed out the extremity of hikikomori and the possibility the UK’s over-reliance on telecommunications has reduced our tendency for physical interactions.
Hikikomori and moderntype depression might be indicators of a pandemic of psychological problems that the global internet-connected society will have to face in the near future. Their most recent, widespread manifestation may be what the media dubs “Facebook depression”.
A joint research study conducted by Berlin’s Humboldt University and the Darmstadt’s Technical University, showed that social networking websites perpetuate the cycle of envy and relative loneliness. Reasons cited for this “self promotion-envy spiral” focus not on the “proof of socialising” but rather the further socialisation that occurs online around these proofs. It is easy to pin the blame on the algorithms used by these websites to only display the “most interesting” posts among it’s users, as there is no demand for uninteresting posts, how interesting a post is depends on the level of user interaction.
Alone Together
Fast forward to today: the year 2013. Mobile devices are expected to outpace the sales of traditional desktop devices. As knowledge workers are more able to bring their work home with them, so too are people who have “stayed at home”. Psychiatrists’ study has indicated that both hikikomori and moderntype depression are seen in various countries, and are more prevalent in urban areas. Hikikomori and modern-type depression could be seen as a form of internet addiction.
“In some cases, talking about an event is more important than the experience”
Hikikomori is defined as those with a withdrawn social behaviour, which doesn’t preclude them from being outdoors. I have observed cases of minimal social contact whilst “attending” a public gathering of people. Coincidentally, talk about the future of “wearable computing”, such as Google’s Glass hardware, could make it “easier” to fall into the trap of hikikomori: not wholeheartedly socialising with the people around us.
These phenomena also exist in South Korea & China, where there are major cases of video-game addiction that has lead to death.
Above all these phenomenon is not related to what is referred to as an “addiction” to the Internet and video games. In fact, Professor Takahiro Kato of the neuro-psychiatry department of Kyushu University, points out: these two media simply reduce the need for face-to-face communication with others.
“I learned, I think, that while an individual is weak alone, two together can start to get things done, and three and four people pooling their strength can really accomplish something.”
Yamada (30)
Humans are social creatures, even in cases of Hikikomori, and practically all sufferers communicated with their fellows or received news of the “outside world” electronically. Harris in 2008, depicts the Hikikomori as someone who constantly checks their Email; typically they do not venture out unless invited or absolutely need to. There is a phrase from the Hokkien dialect that has been absorbed into the common tongue of Singaporeans: “bo jio” that is literally a complain that they weren’t invited. It is apparent that many who draw from Chinese culture only turn up when invited directly (as opposed to open invitations).
A photographic archive of the Royal Holloway University of students’ rooms have shown that in the span of a century until today, “In another recreation of an 1890s photo, students have no need to communicate verbally today”.
“For example, they aren’t travelling to their friend’s house to hang out on the couch, but rather texting or video calling them from the comfort of their room.”
One trend that follows the reduction of physicality is sexuality. With the rise of online dating and it’s normalisation, to the research and development of teledildotronics, both of which are more advanced in Japan than anywhere else in the world.
“The survey, while conducted in the UK, does point out a problem that has been plaguing pretty much every other modern nation on Earth. I’m going to pretend that my experience in the U.S. can be applied to any other technophile’s experience. I avoid contact with humanity whenever I can not because I hate it, but technology has made it easier to do. Why should I buy a movie ticket from the box office when I can just swipe my card at a machine that will print one out for me?”
From my primary research survey (part of which is attached in the appendix), only a quarter of the respondents say that they were more likely to invite others for a drink than vice versa. This meant an overwhelming number of people have become relatively introverted. Combined with my observation of people in “social spaces” nowadays people tend to consult their smartphones than to “unnecessarily bother” a passerby with directions, are mobile devices (and future wearable computers) going to further inhibit our willingness to “disturb” others, the very minimal level of social serendipity?
Maniacs
“Although people have criticised otaku for being socially inept and unable to make friends, when we consider the types of connections they do make (which can be quite impressive in scope), this is clearly not the case, especially in contrast to the hikikomori who don’t talk to anyone if they don’t have to. The (super-interested and super-involved) otaku has a purpose and therefore an identity. The (uninterested and un-involved) hikikomori has neither,”
Eng
The reason I have used the term “hikikomori” instead of “social seclusion” is to point to the fact that, in Japan at least, this has turned into a subculture that is not only acknowledged by the popular media, but celebrated in some parts of the world: otakuism.
By studying the explosion of otaku subculture, and it’s growth as a subculture in the rest of the world outside of Japan, it is perhaps possible to deduce what separates a hikikomori from an otaku, the latter simply being a geek or maniac of their given point of interest.
Otaku is correctly translated as “maniac” or simply a geek: someone who has a point of interest that practically consumes their daily attention span. Although it can be said a great number of hikikomori are also otaku, the inverse is not true. Simply said, a “denshaotaku” (train otaku, hence train maniac) is merely a metrophile or a trainspotter. The largest group of otaku are fans of animation & comics, and it is this group that without any tangible physical thing to focus their mania towards, have turned towards the Internet as a town square for their ideas.
Since the early 21st Century, in the span of a decade, otakuism has grown from a fringe subculture to one that is generally accepted to be a subculture all of it’s own. In the last couple of years, the “Hallyu” or Koreanmania has passed through the world (especially with Psy’s recent world record breaking single). It is still questionable why these traditionally Confucian societies are trending culturally at the moment, alongside the rise of MTD; perhaps escapism?
Here in the UK, welfare loans have been criticised by some to allow some people to become lazy and not seek out work, as it is theoretically possible to live a minimal lifestyle. However in my observations, this may not be the case. Some of these people may have been students, with today’s economic implications, the conditions for continuous job rejections and hence unemployment, and lack of social mobility has created British Hikikomori.
The recent increase in university fees in the UK will drive student numbers down, increasing the pressure on current secondary education students to achieve higher grades, increasing the competitiveness of the post-tertiary education work environment, and leaving a lot more people falling prey to hikikomori. I have observed this in recent years and can safely say Hikikomori is coming and here to stay until society can accept and work around it.
All of the above, coupled with globalisation and the reduction of degrees of separation, is causing the Noosphere to become more tangible in our lives.
The Noosphere
I am making the case in the UK with the rising recognition of the subculture; where culture was divided along national boundaries, subcultures have transcended that with the Internet. So widespread it has become that hate crimes against subcultures are being filed in Manchester. How does an individual identify themselves in this ever connected world? The focus today on websites and apps for marketing and communication, represents a shift of the medium we humans are focusing on, subcultures reflect this. Instead of being limited to how we dress to show our creed, but the information stored about us on the Internet, in records, books, etc this is the Noosphere.
Derived from the Greek νοῦς (nous “mind”) and σφαῖρα (sphaira “sphere”), in lexical analogy to “atmosphere” and “biosphere”, denotes the “sphere of human thought”. To denote who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for, it is more likely we will input this information into some sort of database, perhaps Facebook. By this line of reasoning, it is understandable why skeuomorphism is dying out, since the reduction of physical ornament to denote who we are, hence the reduction in needing to know more about the fellows around us. While it may be convenient that there is a database we can use as reference to know more about our fellows, but the lack of conversational ornamentation has caused a reduction in face-to-face communication.
Of course, needing to surrender all information about ourselves to merely denote who we are will raise some issues: fear for loss of privacy, and digital illiteracy, due to economic affordability of these devices. There is also the question of information accuracy, since posts on the Internet could theoretically “live forever” as a cache or copy somewhere else from where it was first published. So to stem the problem of loss of reputation caused by misinterpretation, new information must be uploaded. This is endemic as this has gotten from bad to worse: out attention span reducing from radio soundbites to a mere sentence on Twitter.
Short Attention Span Theatre
As designers we need to be aware of shifting global trends, of human adaptation to the changing environment. From all of the above, I have outlined a growing subset of society that is becoming more distinct with each passing year. Perhaps it is time to take a look at the collection of these behaviours as a whole new design criteria. We should not just be discussing feminist issues in design, studying age groups, or examining sustainable practices… design should be about the users, it’s these future generations of people who are more susceptible to Hikikomori than ever before.
How do we design products for the digitally literate introvert?
