In a class discussion, a classmate of mine once said something along the lines of “This is kind of unrelated, but there’s a group of young men in Japan who refuse to leave the house for months at a time.” Apparently that group of Hikikomori (people who haven’t left their homes in 6 months), are a growing to counts of over half a million individuals. Additionally, although the Japanese government has publicly described this as a problem it’s not confined by borders, growing in numbers most notably in South Korea, Spain, and India.
So why would people want to have alone time… all the time? Various research studies have been conducted, many through online surveys, and have found many trends in these people. Many are mentally disabled, suffering from psychiatric disorders. Many have also seen themselves as victims for strict societal and academic pressures surrounding them, having experienced trauma from past failures. Finally, although many are not quick to blame technology, most agree that it facilitates extreme social isolation.
The issue has become so widespread that many have proposed solutions including remote therapy, though this would require individuals to come forward and solicit help. The BBC also reports that they’ve also started building a robot to aid in reintegration into society. I find myself wondering if these people would be more open to robot interaction than human interaction, and whether or not the acceptance of robots for this issue would actually solve the problem.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190129-the-plight-of-japans-modern-hermits