The only in-depth video I have seen of a so-called Hikikomori was actually a man with quite a significant social life as well as multiple businesses. He just did everything online.
I'm American and I think I fall into a general "Hikikomori" category although this term seems to be ambiguous and poorly understood.
The short version is that working online and not going out much at all may just make sense if you are relatively poor and have a health condition and/or just don't want to deal with office politics anymore.
And especially if you don't have much savings, going out, making and keeping in-person friends can be quite a struggle. For me, my startups or the easily acquired contracts with "international" rates keep my savings relatively close to zero.
And the reality is that society is quite judgemental towards men or individuals who do not have a high income or even seem unwell.
But part of this is just an ignorance of technology. No, I don't go out usually except when I have to go to the ATM because my landlord is a bit behind the times, but I do work quite hard and socialize in my own way. My online business right now is again kind of keeping me poor but the other hand I am getting hundreds and often thousands of microtransactions per day at this point. And fairly optimistic about it.
I did have a little working vacation scheduled to visit my brother and his family in a week or two but had to cancel it because I am just going to be scraping by this month and if there was another fight with his wife then I would have no recourse because could not afford to get a hotel. Anyway it's just not practical right now.
Anyway, a retreat to living online can be easily explained by just having financial and/or health problems.
But I also do have a social life to a degree. I play Eleven Table Tennis in VR almost every day. I get to have my day on any topic on HN, reddit or sometimes Discord.
But I would say even in VR I am somewhat withdrawn in that I find places like VR Chat awkward and mainly avoid them. Part of that I think is just my nature of not having a ton of interest in socialization or a lot of energy left over for it. But another aspect is again the financial situation. Even I would say the cheap apartment may contribute because all of my business is broadcast to my neighbors which does suppress voice chat interaction somewhat.
I did go to a ping pong club for some months a few years back. It's not very practical these days due to financial constraints.
Anyway, to people in the thread downvoting me already within 20 seconds, way to go. Anyone who knows me in person would describe me as a Hikikomori. And I am giving a detailed explanation. But you just bury it within thirty seconds.
Honestly I think this is part of the explanation of why I don't have a lot of friends. I tell the truth plainly, and people don't like it because it goes against their often incorrect worldview.
I don't feel that I am I inconsiderate online. Just literally have contrary viewpoints that don't sit well with people.
Actually sometimes my comments are more blunt these days. But that is an adaptation from receiving disdain for years when expressing contrarian viewpoints, mostly regardless of the tone I use.
I'm American and I think I fall into a general "Hikikomori" category although this term seems to be ambiguous and poorly understood.
The short version is that working online and not going out much at all may just make sense if you are relatively poor and have a health condition and/or just don't want to deal with office politics anymore.
And especially if you don't have much savings, going out, making and keeping in-person friends can be quite a struggle. For me, my startups or the easily acquired contracts with "international" rates keep my savings relatively close to zero.
And the reality is that society is quite judgemental towards men or individuals who do not have a high income or even seem unwell.
But part of this is just an ignorance of technology. No, I don't go out usually except when I have to go to the ATM because my landlord is a bit behind the times, but I do work quite hard and socialize in my own way. My online business right now is again kind of keeping me poor but the other hand I am getting hundreds and often thousands of microtransactions per day at this point. And fairly optimistic about it.
I did have a little working vacation scheduled to visit my brother and his family in a week or two but had to cancel it because I am just going to be scraping by this month and if there was another fight with his wife then I would have no recourse because could not afford to get a hotel. Anyway it's just not practical right now.
Anyway, a retreat to living online can be easily explained by just having financial and/or health problems.
But I also do have a social life to a degree. I play Eleven Table Tennis in VR almost every day. I get to have my day on any topic on HN, reddit or sometimes Discord.
But I would say even in VR I am somewhat withdrawn in that I find places like VR Chat awkward and mainly avoid them. Part of that I think is just my nature of not having a ton of interest in socialization or a lot of energy left over for it. But another aspect is again the financial situation. Even I would say the cheap apartment may contribute because all of my business is broadcast to my neighbors which does suppress voice chat interaction somewhat.