It is an epidemic that families could unknowingly be dealing with. The Japanese coined the term Hikikomori for this major cultural shift.
It was flagged by Japanese researchers many years ago; now they say it is spreading around the world.
Some call it the anti-social trend, but experts say it is the practice of extreme and long-term social withdrawal, having no human contact for several months straight.
And this kind of withdrawal can have devastating effects.
“Any sort of social withdrawal is going to be a red flag. So even if it’s not something that leads to a diagnosis of some sort, it’s still concerning. We are social beings, and that well-being really can be measured sometimes by the health of our relationships, how confident, how comfortable we feel in those environments,” says Dr. Mariam Wahby, Manager of Behavioral Health Education for Memorial Hermann Health System. “They are often really good indicators of just our overall health or well-being. So parents, families could feel concerned about their teenagers or family members, friends who are finding themselves more withdrawn, and to that extent.”
Parents may not even realize this, whether your child is away at college or lives away from you, experts say some people are very social online but don’t ever leave their homes.
They might feel safer behind a screen, with no eye contact and no pressure of social cues.
“So really important to, for yourself and for someone else, take the judgment out of the conversation, right. So know that it’s okay to feel how you feel is just fine. If it’s causing you trouble, it’s not creating spaces that you want to be in. It’s not getting you to the places that you need to be emotionally and professionally, socially, then let’s work on it,” says Dr. Wahby.
Dr. Wahby says while the different generations do communicate differently, the ability to connect is an essential human skill for survival, and it is a skill that needs to be worked on. Dr. Wahby says being able to empathize, identify someone’s emotions, name them, and regulate them, these are core pieces of the human experience, no matter the age.
If you or someone you know may be going through this, call for help.