Add Hikikomori to the growing list of behavioral abnormalities that are becoming more common as we pack the planet with more meat packages.  Pretty hard to make babies if you never leave your bedroom.  Do these folks count as another gender?  I suppose it doesn't matter since they never use public bathrooms.  Solitary confinement in prison would be a reward for them.  Of course, they never go outside to commit crimes.

Not to be racist, but it always seems to be the Japanese who are at the cutting edge of these weird psychological deviations.  Japan doesn't even make the Top 10 in population density though, so there must be other factors at work also.



One factor is the country has to be rich enough where there are parents who will actually keep supporting these cave dwellers.  This is the ultimate in child-as-parasite behavior.  What would you do if your 15 year old son refused to leave his room?  For a start, I'd stop bringing food to his room.  Then, if he has TV, computer or phone, I'd take all those away.  How many of these kids would stay in their rooms with no food and nothing to do?

Definitely a failure of parenting here, but that begs the qurstion of why so many Japnese are crappy parents?  Opinions welcome.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/05/world/hikikomori-asia-personal-stories-wellness/

A shrinking life: Why some Asian youth withdraw from the world

RE

hikikomori - The Japanese have a word for it for their own reasons.  In America it is just called depression.

People have a natural tendency to withdraw for self-protection.  If you can keep yourself entertained dispensing with toxic people is a good idea.  Withdrawing regarding specific situations and people is good, but withdrawing as a lifestyle is mentally ill.  In America it is best to keep an opinion like mine to yourself.  Labeling any lifestyle as mentally ill is an attack on FREEDOM here.  Japan can admit that they have a social problem because Japanese are comfortable with a need to conform.  In America we have the same thing going on, but there is more denial so this depression is not seen for what it is.  In America conformity attacks self-expression and is not tolerated as a virtue.

Parents who set no limits, and who expect their special flowers to bloom by the natural process of life unfolding without providing any direction are a huge problem.  Some people have a propensity to figure out how their own life works.  These people can direct their own path.  Other people are without any clue at all without any ability to sail their own ship.  When permissive parents parent the clueless the environment becomes toxic in the family and beyond.

Economics provided the environment where this sort of depression is became possible.  Material conditions to support this sickness were once available only to the rich.  In the seventies middle class American men knew they were expected to get a job and move out of the parents house at age 18 because, parents had paid their bills long enough.  That expectation vanished when decent jobs became scarce and the American economy became wonky.  Necessity forced families together at the same time avoidance of shitty jobs became a virtue.  With basic needs met self-expression became more important than being part of the social fabric.

The definition of shitty is rarely objective.

Quote from: K-Dog on May 25, 2024, 12:42 PMIn the seventies middle class American men knew they were expected to get a job and move out of the parents house at age 18 because, parents had paid their bills long enough.

What bills in the 70's did these 18 year old American males have? Student loans for high school? Their paper route didn't make enough to borrow the parents car and put some gas in it? And for this....parents thought it was time to kick them out of the home?

I certainly wasn't accumulating bills my Mom had to pay at age 18, she kicked me out for normal reasons, otherwise known as my girlfriend.

QuoteTheir paper route didn't make enough to borrow the parents car and put some gas in it?

The suburb I graduated high school in was mixed working class, average and skilled proletariat.  I left paper routes behind when I was 14.  By then I was working under the table, my wages were written off as cat food in a pet shop, and I was making $1 an hour.  Much better than delivering newspapers in blizzard conditions at 12 years old at 6 am before school.  Six days a week.  The Minneapolis Star and Tribune was one of three routes I had when I delivered.  Two were small local papers.  I did morning papers.  The Sunday paper was part of the Evening Post edition of the tribune.  They had been separate and merged.

Bicycles got me around.  The burb was death without someway to get around.  My parents made it very clear that I was an expense, and I needed to take care of myself.

Quoteparents car ?

Not everyone had it so good.  There is a forgotten America which thought suffering built character and that unearned riches were the devils tool.  Sometimes suffering can build character.  Most of the time suffering just breaks people. 
Those who could have provided more often did not.  ✟  There was no arguing with their reasons.  No wiggle room at all.  'Back in the day' was not the nostalgic hedonistic paradise many assume it was.  There were far more 'rules' then than now.  Religion was a big deal.  The minority that could evade religion was small.

Quote from: K-Dog on Apr 14, 2025, 08:21 AMBicycles got me around.  The burb was death without someway to get around.  My parents made it very clear that I was an expense, and I needed to take care of myself.

How unfortunate. So what "expenses" were you incurring that would cause such a reaction? Eating?

Quote from: K-DogThere is a forgotten America which thought suffering built character and that unearned riches were the devils tool.  Sometimes suffering can build character.  Most of the time suffering just breaks people.

This one I get. I'll go with the character building side. But then I'm "old" American, as opposed to the pussyfication that appears to have overrun the country. Helicopter parents for christs sake....ruined the entire country.

Quote from: K-Dog'Back in the day' was not the nostalgic hedonistic paradise many assume it was.

Damn straight. Fucking groundhog when the venison ran out.