No Outings or Social Interaction... The Emergence of the 'Isolated and Reclusive Youth' Group

540,000 Socially Isolated Youth
44% of Isolated Youth "Dissatisfied with Life"

A survey found that 5 out of 100 young people are isolated, unable to receive help even when facing difficulties due to a lack of interaction with others.

According to the 'Status and Support Measures for Isolated and Reclusive Youth' recently published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) on the 14th, the proportion of isolated youth aged 19 to 34 was 5.0% as of 2021.

According to the "Status and Support Measures for Isolated and Reclusive Youth" recently published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) on the 14th, the proportion of isolated youth among those aged 19 to 34 was found to be 5.0% as of 2021.
[Photo by Pixabay]

This is an increase from 3.1% in 2019 over two years. Isolated youth refer to those who have no meaningful interaction with others and lack a 'support system' to ask for help when facing difficulties.

Seong-A Kim, a senior researcher at KIHASA, pointed out in the report, "Physical distancing, which was inevitable to protect lives after COVID-19, has changed the patterns of social relationships. Especially for youth starting their independent adult lives and social activities, the experience of isolation is not just a current issue. It can leave scars (scarring effects) throughout their entire life as they age into middle and older adulthood."

4.4 out of 10 Isolated Youth 'Dissatisfied with Life'

Among 10 socially isolated young people, 4.4 are dissatisfied with life (very dissatisfied 17.2%, dissatisfied 26.8%).
[Photo by Pixabay]

In fact, 4.4 out of 10 isolated youth reported dissatisfaction with life (17.2% very dissatisfied, 26.8% dissatisfied). This is nearly twice as high compared to non-isolated youth, among whom 23% responded as 'not satisfied' (4.7% very dissatisfied, 18.3% dissatisfied).

Only 8% of isolated youth answered that they were 'very satisfied' with life, and just 8.3% said they were 'somewhat satisfied.'

The relatively low frequency of going out among isolated youth was also notable. When asked why they do not go out, most answered 'other,' which researcher Kim interpreted as "finding it difficult to even select a clear reason for reclusion." Following that, reasons such as 'difficulty finding employment,' 'human relationships,' and 'dropping out of school' were cited.

Additionally, isolated youth were found to be in more challenging environments in terms of education and income levels compared to non-isolated youth. The proportion of isolated youth with a high school diploma or less was 28.9%, higher than the 16.5% of non-isolated youth. More than half (53.1%) of isolated youth reported no economic activity in the past week, compared to 41.5% of non-isolated youth.

Regarding subjective income levels, 32.8% of isolated youth responded that their income was 'very insufficient,' nearly twice as high as the 16.9% of non-isolated youth.

Researcher Kim explained, "Isolated and reclusive youth represent newly identified welfare needs and a new vulnerable group after the pandemic. The ultimate goal of support projects for them should be to help them overcome their vulnerable state and live as healthy democratic citizens by engaging with local community residents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.