[Youth Isolation 24 Hours] 'Corona Hakbeon' Is at Risk... Counseling Calls Surge This Year

<3>Youth in Isolation and Seclusion Seen Up Close
①'SOS' Rescuers for Isolated and Secluded Youth
Witnessing the Worsening Pain of Isolation Triggered by COVID-19
"More Youth Struggling with Communication Due to the Pandemic"
"Concerns Over Youth Hiding Due to Being Seen as 'Lazy'"

Editor's NoteWhen eating alone after work, having hundreds of contacts saved on your phone but no one to confide in when going through tough times, or being sick or broke but unable to ask for help... The young adults in their 20s and 30s whom Asia Economy met confessed that they felt isolated in such moments. Could this be your story? If you have thought that words like 'hikikomori' or 'reclusive loner' belong to a different world, now is the time to properly reconsider isolation and seclusion.

The people who have felt the worsening crisis of isolation and seclusion among young adults in their 20s and 30s are the staff members of private organizations directly supporting the social reintegration of isolated and reclusive youth. Five field workers who have acted as a kind of 'problem solvers' by communicating directly with young people at crisis sites expressed concern to Asia Economy that the number of young people struggling during the pandemic has rapidly increased.

They emphasized that isolated and reclusive youth have a strong will to resolve their situations but face continuous frustration due to societal views labeling them as 'lazy' or 'lacking willpower,' thus needing support. Above all, they unanimously stated that society needs to pay more attention to the issue of youth isolation and seclusion and prepare countermeasures.

Support Organization Field Workers: "The COVID-19 Crisis is Urgent"

"It's serious. This year, counseling calls from 21- to 23-year-olds who attended university during the pandemic surged. When answering the calls, they say they haven't learned much, have no friends at university, and stopped participating in academic societies or clubs. They say, 'I haven't done much, but I'm already being told to graduate and enter society. I'm anxious. What kind of adult am I? I wasn't even properly prepared.' The most concerning part about youth isolation these days is the 'pandemic-driven surge.'"

The rapid increase in young people feeling isolated due to the pandemic is also reflected in statistics. According to a social isolation survey conducted by Statistics Korea, the response rate to the question "When feeling discouraged or depressed and needing someone to talk to, is there no one to ask for help?" is lower among people in their 10s to 30s compared to those in their 40s to 60s overall, but the increase rate is more than three times higher. For those in their 10s to 30s, the response rate was 47.9% last year, up 16.2 percentage points from 2019. During the same period, the 40s to 60s group increased from 59.3% to 65.1%, a 5.8 percentage point rise.

"(Recalling the pandemic period) It was a difficult time. We tried various attempts to connect remotely. (When asked if there were many young people living alone feeling isolated) Physical isolation, unemployment, and unpaid leave caused significant economic isolation. Above all, I felt that many more were thinking about death. There were many dangerous cases from a mental health perspective."

Those who observed isolated and reclusive youth during the COVID-19 period are most concerned about the lack of communication experience. They explain that young people, who should have been learning how to build broad relationships and communicate during the three years of social distancing and disconnection from society, were trapped indoors. The more difficult it is to build human relationships, the higher the likelihood that young people fall into a vicious cycle of isolation and seclusion.

"When talking with young people who sought help last year, either by phone or in person, the pattern was different from before. Communication definitely became more difficult. The biggest point I noticed was that they had trouble understanding when something was conveyed verbally. Usually, conversations include nuances beyond the text, but they seemed unable to grasp those well. At first, I thought it was just our organization's problem, but after talking with other organizations, they said they felt the same way."

They also evaluated that the COVID-19 crisis has made the isolation and seclusion problem among young adults in their 20s and 30s more visible. The non-face-to-face culture has taken root in society, rapidly worsening the situation.

"Although accelerated by COVID-19, this started even before. From elementary students to office workers, it seems like they are doing fine on the surface, but the culture of not sharing honest inner thoughts has become widespread. The culture of sharing sincere feelings, worries, comforting, and supporting each other has greatly diminished."

Support organization workers facing isolated and reclusive youth expressed concern that the worsening phenomenon due to COVID-19 is intensifying not only among young adults but also adolescents. The number of students dropping out during the COVID-19 period was 32,027 in 2020 (0.6% of elementary, middle, and high school students), but it rose sharply to 52,981 (1.0%) in 2022. A representative from an organization supporting isolated and reclusive youth recently heard from an alternative school teacher that "children's thinking and willingness to challenge something have regressed by about a year on average," showing concern that these youths may gradually enter isolation and seclusion.

"Not elderly, yet..." Isolated and Reclusive Youth Who Can't Speak Out Despite Hardship

Despite the worsening situation, young people tend not to recognize their own isolation and seclusion well, and even if they do, they are reluctant to openly talk about it. "Young people lack willpower," "Able-bodied youth should try harder." They feel depressed and frustrated because employment, romance, and relationships are difficult, but they cannot appeal anywhere due to societal judgment. Loneliness grows, and they enter a socially isolated and reclusive state.

"While elderly people who are isolated are seen as people to be pitied and helped, isolated youth face much more criticism like 'Why are they like that?' The youth themselves often fall into self-loathing, thinking they are useless if they can't get a job, and as this happens repeatedly, the state persists and becomes hard to escape. A characteristic of isolated and reclusive youth is that there is no one with whom they can honestly share their true feelings or state by saying, 'Actually, I'm struggling.'"

The isolated and reclusive youth Asia Economy met introduced their experiences, often saying, "It might look pathetic to be like this at the prime working age, but..."

In a survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, over 80% of about 21,000 isolated and reclusive youth responded that they want to escape their current state. At the same time, 67.2% of respondents actively inquired about participating in programs for social reintegration at private institutions, showing they recognize the problem and are struggling to solve it themselves.

"When looking at isolated and reclusive youth, they are actually using their brains a lot. Even if they are not economically active, they keep their minds running with many worries, regrets, and painful thoughts. The core issue is 'overwork' and 'burnout.' They may want to be very cool people and have more ambition than others. It's not because they lack will or ambition, but because in a capitalist society, they want to succeed and live well, but reality is tough, so their hearts suffer."

"(Regarding isolated and reclusive youth) Some interpret it as if they chose this or are lazy, but that's not true. They are at an age where they want to be economically independent, take care of themselves, and have romantic relationships. Their will to come out into society is strong. 70% of counseling applicants at Seeds are the youth themselves. They write about their problems and contact us via text. In Japan, 80-90% of people contacting such organizations are parents. Japanese officials are always surprised when they see the Korean situation."

"(Isolated and reclusive youth themselves) see isolation as a personal fault. Many people we support say, 'I didn't know I had to ask for help.' Even if they know about support organizations, they think, 'I should overcome this alone and try harder.' They think that people with physical disabilities or vulnerable groups are the ones who should get support, but they don't think they themselves should receive it. I believe there are many isolated youth who can fully demonstrate their talents."

'Check your level of loneliness and risk of social isolation'

- Loneliness and Social Isolation Scale

https://www.asiae.co.kr/list/project/2024050314290051322A

If you want to read the 'Youth Isolation 24 Hours' articles

<1>Youth Isolated and Reclusive People Asia Economy Met
① I am a 28-year-old isolated youth... "A person who can't fulfill a single role"
② Isolation caused by employment... A day spent without saying a word all day
③ Harder than parenting is having 'no one to talk to'... That's how depression came
④ Eating instant rice and ramen for 3 years and playing games all day... Emotional instability worsens and eventually

<2>2024 Isolation Awareness Survey
① 6 out of 10 say "I feel lonely"... Complaining of pain from relationship breakdown and deprivation
② "Feeling alone at work"... 1 in 2 office workers say "Isolation has worsened"

<3>Isolated and Reclusive Youth Seen from the Side
① 'COVID-19 Graduates' Are at Risk... Counseling Calls Flooded This Year
② Traces Left at the End of Isolation... "I want to see Mom and Dad, I'm sorry"

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