Harajuku, Hikikomori, Otaku, NEET - small thoughts

Harajuku teens or Hikikomori or Akihabara Otaku, these are all teens, with certain problems of their own, a result of a choice on how they chose to deal with a circumstance in life, or dreams to be fulfilled. Yet, so much emptiness.

Are these phenomena only in Japan? Or it is spreading like a fire to the other parts of the world, with the influence of media, internet and manga (comic)?

These are certainly troubled youths.

What recorded in the video reels are real things that are happening in the street every day. It was not an accident, or a special event nor festival. These people might be only representing a small percentage of the population, as many people tried to comfort themselves as they see this. But when you walk in the middle of the street, you will have fear, are these the youth for tomorrow?

Most of these people skip schools, do nothing, they have a special terminolgy that was created for them only a few years back. NEET - "Not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training". NEET is a government classification, first used in the United Kingdom but whose use has spread to other countries, including Japan and South Korea. It is a global problem.

Is this a public health issue? I think, YES, it is!

Cho Seung-hui

The incident of Victoria Tech last Monday is a hard subject to write about.

Fear, pain, tear, anger, embarrassment, sadness, sickness all aroused and became a confused mess-up mixture.

As the killer had been highly marked, "ASIAN", Korean, many were surprised indeed when they found out that this "Korean" boy had came to US at the age of 8. Why are they calling him a "Korean" then? Wasn't him an American too?

Tension increased while hateful comments aimed at Koreans being posted on the website Facebook and on various blog sites.

The media and critiques had continued to use titles like "KOREAN", "ASIAN", "KOREAN-BORN GUNMAN", as if that's what Cho was recognized as. Quoted from The New York Time last Friday,

Professor Park in LA said she was troubled that Cho's ethnicity had quickly become central to the narrative of his crime. "Calling him a South Korean native as if he arrived yesterday, doesn't make sense to me," She said of Cho, who arrived in the US with his parents at the age of eight. "

It doesn't make sense, I agree.

Some said, "we're very worried about Koreans being harassed now." "They're scared. They're shocked to death. When the news media said it was an Asian, we prayed,'Not Korean, not Korean'."

A large fear was introduced to the Korean-American Community. To share with you, when the news media said it was an Asian, the Chinese also prayed, "Not Chinese, not Chinese". My Chinese friend called her relatives in US, and found the fear that laid deep inside them.

I am not surprised that such fear occurred. The influence of the media is great, indeed.

The description of Cho Seung-hui has some resemblance of Hikikomori personalities, social isolation. But then, if a "Korean/Asian" that is what he was recognized as, even in fact he was an American; and the great fear of the Korean-American to admit themselves as a Korean after the incident. The problem is clearly more than an aftermath of massacre.

It seems to me adding to it are social nonacceptance and social inequities. Then, it would not add to my surprise that Asians are stereotyped as loner and antisocial. Without a clear will of the society to include its minority in its games, there is lack of empowerment for the people to choose the right choice.

Viewing the disturbing video record that Cho made, something that he said kept echo in my ears. "you forced me into a corner".

Is that the cry of Hikikomori? I wonder.

Identifying Self-Cut

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9593427

If self-cut is a coping action, there are a lot more behind that awaited to be explored.

It takes hearts to understand these.

We cannot treat the coping action without treating the underline problem!

Self Abuse

Self injuries. Angelina Jolie said in Ananova.com, "I grabbed a knife and cut my boy friend. He cut me back. Then, whenever I felt trapped, I'd cut myself. I have a lot of scars."

Some say that, " I do this to escape problem."
some say, " I don't know why."
Some say, " I want to make sure I'm alive."
Some say, " It just another way to cope with stress."
Some say, " I harm myself so I won't harm you."

There could be many other explanations that had never comeacross our minds. But one thing that is ultimate true in the emotion of these people, that is feeling of pain.

A deep pain the emotion, that only self abuse can make it seems less.

The video reel on the "self-injury" and "depression", reminded me of something in the past, that I know, once I got out from it, I AM NOT GOING BACK AGAIN!

Think......

Harajuku teens
- the aggressive teens that dressed out to express themselves.


Pachinko Housewives
- the housewives who neglected their children, so much immerse into Pachinko, and had let to several cases of death of their children because of their neglegiance.


Hikikomori People
- the people who shut themselvs in, withdraw from social communication, for six months and above.




What are the main differences? What are the similarities?