threads...

Cheung thinks that Hikikomori is a term that we should not overuse. He rather terms his clients as "Net Addicts" rather than "Hikikomori". He also does agree on multiplying the data to get a projection on the numbers.

Throughout the sharing, I could identify a few cases that are definite "Hikikomori" to me. Same as David, Cheung does not agree that "Hikikomori" in Hong Kong is an influence of Japan's culture. Judging from his experience, it is the "hope" to gain control, self-confidence through the Internet.

Isabelle thinks that people shut themselves up avoid commuication, and basically that happens when people have fear to fit in.

In either case, I find a thin line of "failure", "fear" and "death".

Joshua thinks that people shut themselves in when they have no sense of reality. To him, these people are spoilt rather than sick. These child of 80's cannot withstand stress, so when they have trouble to fit in, they choose to isolate themselves.

Yip peng thinks that people in his days do not have this fear of Hikikomori, it seems to him these are the symptoms of the 80's or 90's.