Extreme social withdrawal and isolation, typically involving someone who refuses to leave their room for months or years, avoiding all social contact. It's self-imposed hermit life in response to overwhelming social pressure or anxiety.
Japanese compound of 'hiki' (to pull/withdraw) + 'komori' (to seclude oneself). The term was coined by Japanese psychologist Tamaki Saito in the 1990s to describe a growing social phenomenon in Japan, though similar patterns exist worldwide. It reflects modern pressures of competitive society and social expectations.
This word describes something that's becoming more common in our hyper-connected yet isolating world. The Japanese recognized that sometimes people just... retreat completely from society, and instead of just calling it 'antisocial,' they created a word that acknowledges it as a real response to overwhelming pressure. Hikikomori reminds us that behind every closed door might be someone who's not lazy or weird, but genuinely struggling with the demands of modern life.
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