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Voluntary Isolation

The hikikomori lifestyle sounds like the far end of the spectrum of what would be considered a solitary way of life. For a person who is not particularly social, the modern world allows them to create a safety blanket and live as isolated as they would like.  Life can be completely digitized and all need for human contact eliminated. It used to be the awkward and unsocial among us, were pushed out of their comfort zone continuously.

 They had to go out to work, meet people along the way and at the place of work even if they chose to remain mostly silent. Buying essential goods and services required a conversation with the seller. Complete isolation in the manner of hikikomori would not be compatible with survival in the past. Presumably, under those conditions a person would learn to cope and over time develop a working relationship with the world. Today it is very much within the realm to survive comfortably in total isolation making it that much harder for those with social anxiety

 Although the disease originates in Japan, hikikomori can be found across the world. It's a kind of modern hermitism. 
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