Hikikomori

I read Jonathan Haidt’s ‘The Anxious Generation’ over the weekend. His work, which examines the impact of Social Media on Gen Z, didn’t have too many ideas that I wasn’t already familiar with. The rise of social media coupled with the introduction of the dual camera in smartphones was the pivot that marked the rise of teenage depression especially among girls. The bulk of the book deals with the evidence and statistical analyses to drive home this point. His substack is also a rich source if you want to explore his work further. Keep children away from social media (especially Instagram) till they turn 16 is a one-line summary of Haidt’s book.

In the chapter dealing with the impact of social media on the mental health of boys, Haidt explores the phenomenon called Hikikomori. Initially detected in Japan, this is the phenomenon of young men deciding to become social recluses. They shun all contact with the outside world and survive thanks to the internet and the benevolence of their parents. Close to a million men are believed to practice Hikikomori in Japan. Some of the reasons for this oddity are the undue pressures on boys to excel, competitive societies, the exorbitant cost of living and of course the comforts of the internet.  When the parents of these men enter their 60’s by 2030, who will financially support them is a vexing question for policymakers – the 2030 problem. Remember that Japan and other East Asian countries are already plagued by Fertility rates below 1 (0.68 in Japan and 0.7 in Korea) and close to 40% of the population is over the age of 60.

This photo essay in the National Geographic and the piece in the New York Magazine are worth exploring for a deeper dive.

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