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VR and Hikikomori

SSJKamui
Honored Guest

In japan, there is a phenomenon of Hikikomori which is related to escapism and media useage where young people start to refuse to leave their home (or even their room), withdraw completely from social life and indulge in a virtual fantasy world via the extensive use of media like computer games or TV. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magaz ... d=all&_r=0

Since some time, I asked myself the question, how could the reemergence of VR via Oculus and other tech influence that phenomenon? I mean, a HMD could become the ideal tool for a Hikikomori Sufferer to "deactivate" the painfull external reality and completely indulge in his virtual dream world.

What do you think on that topic?

9 REPLIES 9

jwilkins
Explorer
I think perhaps a slightly misleading explanation of what a hikkikomori is. There are several different reasons for this phenomenon in Japan. Bullying and mental illness certainly contribute. Also, culture plays into this as well, because it is difficult for me to imagine an American parent indulging a child that both refuses to go to school AND locks themselves in their rooms.

While escaping into a media mitigated fantasy world may play a part in an hikkikomori life, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for it. I think a hikki is just as likely to spend all day in the dark due to depression as they are to be logged into an MMO.

I don't have the space or time here to really make a good point, but if I wanted to make anything clear, I think the problem of hikkikomori and similarly withdrawn people in the developed world is not due to the seduction of the media, but due to the increasing alienation people feel towards other people.

The media did not ensnare people into their self imposed prisons. It just pads the cells.
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SSJKamui
Honored Guest
I agree. The bullying/peer pressure factor should not be ignoried. Because I was a bullying victim in the middle school, my fears of interacting with other people also increased.

ganzuul
Honored Guest
A remedy isn't an indulgence. Unfortunately I'd have to convince 120 million people to change their mindset with regards to that.

I believe VR can help people acclimatize to the rampant foolishness that real people periodically indulge in. Part of this rampant foolishness is aggressive social ape behaviour that gets spread like a memetic disease. This is things like waving your finger in the air and bobbing your head from side to side when disagreeing with someone. When they do this with their body language, what they expect in return is seeing arms crossed, weight shifted to one leg and a specific tone of voice. When a rational person focuses on the contents of the ape's words instead of their body language, the ape sees this as an escalation of the threat which triggers their fight or flight response. And things degenerate from there.

It's a sad state of affairs that people so easily forget about being civilized, and it isn't surprising at all that it drives children to isolate themselves from it. VR can become a bridge for them to keep interacting with, and filter their social circles.

ScorpyX
Explorer
-> SSJKamu: in no way..
because Oculus Rift only a tool - like TV \ Phone \ Computer \ Radio
"hikikomori" is a common problem all over the world
but not "tools" of "hi-tech" create problems as this

many causes and conditions form in social community
and the problems themselves are formed in psychology of the individuals

that's why Oculus Rift not change situation with "hikikomori"

jwilkins
Explorer
I had the feeling that the OP may have read Ready Player One before posting this, which made brief mention of hikkikomori and also detailed how the main character spend almost a whole year in his rented room. Fortunately he was in decent physical shape due to the amazing capabilities of his VR rig, but had to take anti-anxiety medicine before even thinking about going outside again.

As wonderful as I think Ernest Cline's book is, I think he missed the mark a little with his mention of hikkikomori. I think VR related agoraphobia will be a largely new "problem" and only tangentially related to other forms of being a hermit.
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KuraIthys
Honored Guest
Given that I have personally strayed into territory that could be considered close to being hikkikomori myself, I do have to agree that the core issue isn't technology (whatever it may be.)

The world, and people in particular can seem like a harsh, and confusing place to some of us. And if there's any degree of escapism involved, it's because it seems like dealing with the real world is too difficult and confusing.

Trying to immerse yourself in a virtual environment is more likely then to be an effect of feeling out of place in the real world, than a cause of it.

everygamer
Explorer
I think as people are pointing out it is not really the technology but interaction with people. What I have found is that communication via technology in a sense buffers individuals. People can feel safe and communicate more effectively via technology, the pressures of talking in person are not usually there. It is likely everyone on this board could recognize people in their own life that appear to have different personalities when they communicate in person versus via email / text / facebook / etc.

msat
Honored Guest
There's research claiming that VR can help with phobias and social anxiety. This is a big deal because it's something a LOT of people suffer from. However, for many of the hikikomori, the related schizoid personality disorder and those with autism/aspergers, social anxiety isn't always a significant factor in their mental issues. VR may provide another way for these people to interact with others, but it's not necessarily something that will specifically benefit them over, say, neurotypical people.

Peejle
Explorer
"msat" wrote:
There's research claiming that VR can help with phobias and social anxiety. This is a big deal because it's something a LOT of people suffer from. However, for many of the hikikomori, the related schizoid personality disorder and those with autism/aspergers, social anxiety isn't always a significant factor in their mental issues. VR may provide another way for these people to interact with others, but it's not necessarily something that will specifically benefit them over, say, neurotypical people.


Though I am not a psychologist, I have seen people be (at least temporarily) cured by forced exposure to their particular phobia. PTSD Iraq / Afganistan being a prime example. The more real the re-creation of the trigger, the quicker one can deal with it through exposure.