한국사회의 은둔형 외톨이 출현 배경 연구

A study on the background of the emergence of Hikikomori in Korean society

(Purpose) This study attempted to clarify the background of the emergence of reclusive Hikikomori in our society, and to clarify that the problem of reclusive Hikikomori is not a family problem, but a problem in our society. (Design/methodology/approach) This study introduces various media data and research materials dealing with social issues to examine how changes in our society, which began to appear in the late 1990s, have affected the behavior patterns of our young people. (Findings) After the 1997 IMF financial crisis, Korean society was asked to make efforts to survive under the neoliberal system. As a result, companies chose employment flexibility strategies, made most of the jobs non-regular and temporary, and hired new employees mainly as working-level workers, pushing young people with no practical experience into infinite competition. Growing up in a more affluent environment with more access to the Internet than their fathers, the M-Z generations are more familiar with computer use than other generations. Especially as smartphones enter their hands, they communicate with people through online games and SNS. Some of the M-Z generation are breaking away from the world of fierce competition by playing online games, surfing the Internet, and watching videos all day long. In addition, as the number of single-person households increases and the availability of nearby convenience stores that sell instant foods, the infrastructure for young people who choose to live alone is becoming a social problem. (Research implications or Originality) The society as a whole should focus on solving this problem, given that secluded loner is not a product created by a family, but a social product created by Korean society.