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Hikikomori In America Essay

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As the world they grow up in, culture tends to shape and nurture the people within it. Within Western society, the modern rise in social and cultural pressures have warped people’s perception of themselves and others, resulting in a large increase in mental disorders, such as anorexia and depression. However, while the Western world is suffering from body image issues, Asian countries have seen a rise in youth who are socially withdrawing for extended periods of time. In Japan, such a term is called “hikikomori.” It is a quickly developing syndrome in which adolescents “lock themselves away in their rooms for months, years, or even sometimes decades at a time, with minimal social contact” (Rosenthal and Zimmerman 82). Though these two conditions …show more content…

In comparison to America, Japanese society has a large reliance on the way in which people interact. Their heightened sense of self-awareness cripples their interactive and social skills. Furthermore, social expectations lead them to be restrictive in expressing their thoughts and prevent many youths from relaying their honest opinions (Li and Wong 602). In Japan, individuals use their skills and abilities as a way to prove themselves to others as opposed to Western cultures where they aim to differentiate themselves (Toivonen, Norasakkunkit and Uchida 5). The change from collectivism to individualism in Asia has caused the need for individuals to conform to social norms, resulting in a rise of youths who depend on their parents. These parents then have a tendency to be overprotective of their children and, as such, they are less likely to develop necessary social skills. While many American students may yearn to leave home after graduating high school, in Japan, it is not an uncommon occurrence for children to spend much of their lives with their parents (Furlong 314). With a crippling lack of social skill and a hindered ability to build interpersonal relationships, many youths are becoming reluctant to join society (Li and Wong

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