Isolation nation: Japan tries to draw its citizens out of post-Covid seclusion

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/12/isolation-nation-one-in-50-japanese-living-in-seclusion-after-covid

by bookofjoe • 3 years ago

66 9 3 years ago

theguardian.com

xbar• 3 years ago

Need a new Pokemon Go! version released.

alliao• 3 years ago

they've already nerfed it to get people to go out

206lol• 3 years ago

Post COVID? We're still seeing excess deaths, were still seeing long COVID absolutely wrecking lives, we're still totally unaware of the long term impacts of a COVID infection.

I don't blame anyone who is looking at that and saying, "I've built systems that are comfortable and work for me".

The article discusses several folks who want to go out, but find it challenging or difficult, people who are unhappy at home. By all means, invest in helping them, but don't say COVID is over. Even after the disease is endemic, there will be depression, anxiety, fear, and other lingering impacts. Emotional responses to a global pandemic aren't just things you can flip a switch on.

Jeff_Brown• 3 years ago

Scary. And a frustrating article -- gives little sense why this is happening.

sdrothrock• 3 years ago

COVID and the general slowdown gave a lot of folks here the chance to breathe and think about what they want out of life and realize what a dead end many jobs and salaries [0] here are... and that the hope for improvement seems vanishingly small, especially for anyone who is some kind of minority.

[0] https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01631/#:~:text=A%20sur....

rrishi• 3 years ago

"I correspond with lots of people online, without stepping out of my room. That’s the best I can do for now. I am still a hikikomori."

Did the article end abruptly ? Or do I just not have access to the complete article because I am not a subscriber of the Guardian?

Japan is a a fascinating country and so are its residents.

aaron695• 3 years ago

I'd be careful assuming this is Japanese.

Cultural Variation in Past Hikikomori Experiences of University Students (2019) - DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2019.1633618

  Percentages of participants reporting past experiences of Hikikomori -

  Nigeria 20.90 %
  Singapore 9.50 %
  United States 2.70 %

You can disagree on a self reporting study, but Hikikomori will exist in the US, if you want to say it's insignificant to Japan you do need indicate what the rates are.

stubish• 3 years ago

Yes, and I think it is mostly a case of using different labels. I have a relative who has been Hikikomori for over 10 years, but it gets called social anxiety and just one facet of the Asperger's and ADHD diagnosis.

m0llusk• 3 years ago

Seems like this might make for a cool video game. Play an isolated Japanese person and get points for things like going out for a walk in a park or to fetch sushi.

Isolation nation: Japan tries to draw its citizens out of post-Covid seclusion

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