[Youth Isolation 24 Hours] No Job, No Friends... Only a Smartphone in Hand

<4>Reasons for Isolation and Social Costs
①Top Reason for Isolation and Withdrawal: 'Employment Failure'
Wounded by Intense Competition, Difficulty Building Interpersonal Relationships
Stress Relieved Through Smartphones... "Communication Challenges"

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 people 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' are stories from a different world, now is the time to properly reconsider isolation and seclusion.

The rapid increase in young people in their 20s and 30s who complain of isolation or fall into a state of seclusion is due to multiple factors. In a society where future uncertainty is growing, young people are driven into a corner by endless competition just to find a job. Although they are accustomed to non-face-to-face environments due to rapid technological advances, they struggle to form interpersonal relationships and build social networks. This is why there are calls to look closely at the difficulties young people face feeling isolated in daily life and to start with preventive measures.

An office worker is walking through an alley in Seoul, bathed in the afternoon sunlight. Photo by Heo Young-han

① 'The Wall of Employment' and Job Insecurity... Youth Driven into Isolation

The biggest reason young people fall into isolation or seclusion is economic circumstances such as employment. According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs targeting 21,360 young people aged 19 to 39 who have experienced isolation or seclusion nationwide, 'failure to find a job' was the highest reason at 24.1%. In a 2022 survey on the status of isolated and secluded youth conducted by Seoul City, 45.5% of respondents cited 'unemployment or difficulty finding a job' as the trigger for their isolated or secluded lifestyle.

Due to the economic downturn, jobs have sharply decreased, leading to employment difficulties, making it hard for young people to enter the labor market. With few quality jobs including at large corporations, fierce competition has led more young people to start preparing for employment earlier. Due to the unstable job market, more young people are preparing for professional or civil service exams or entering graduate school. Mr. Kwon Hyun-woo, whom Asia Economy met, is an example who entered isolation after preparing for the foreign service exam for a long time and went to graduate school to escape reality. (Related article: Eating instant rice and ramen for 3 years and playing games all day... When anxiety worsens, eventually)

More young people who have repeatedly tried to get a job without success are becoming discouraged and losing their will to work. According to Statistics Korea, the number of young people in their 20s and 30s who are neither working nor seeking jobs, classified as 'inactive,' increased from 479,000 in 2013 to 644,000 last year. The number of discouraged job seekers, those willing to work but unable to find jobs due to labor market reasons, rose by 52,000 in one year to 391,000 as of March. Job-seeking discouragement is increasing mainly among those in their 30s. This economic situation is interpreted as a factor causing young people in their 20s and 30s to reduce relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances and retreat into their rooms.

② Endless Competition... Unable to Express True Feelings, Suffering in Silence

The reason young people fall into isolation or seclusion is not only because of employment. In an interview with Asia Economy, Yoo Seung-gyu, CEO of the support organization for isolated youth 'Not a Scary Company,' diagnosed the fundamental cause of youth isolation as "On the surface, employment seems to be the problem, but ultimately, there is no one to confide in about their problems or stories in that situation," adding, "They despair that they may fall behind others and never get on the normal track, but they have nowhere to express these feelings."

Experts commonly point to the infinite competition system as one of the reasons why young people in their 20s and 30s cannot open up and become vulnerable alone. The competition experienced during adolescence through exam-oriented education became internalized, and experiencing severe employment difficulties, young people became exhausted in endless competition.

At one time, the term 'raising the average' became popular among young people, referring to setting excessively high standards for an average life. This seems to have stemmed from this culture of comparison and competitive mentality. The relative deprivation felt by frequently using social networking services (SNS), where peers' lives are glamorously portrayed, also leads to feelings of isolation more than in other age groups.

Hwang, a counselor working at a counseling center in a four-year university in Seoul, said, "Competition has become much more intense than before. Nowadays, students build up a belief that they must not reveal their vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or mistakes," adding, "Because they think they must live wearing masks, it is difficult to make friends."

③ Difficulty in Interpersonal Relationships... Family Not an Ally but a Source of Hurt

Difficulty in forming interpersonal relationships is also one of the factors increasing the possibility of isolation or seclusion among young people. If social networks such as family, friends, and acquaintances are weak, they are easily exposed to crises. In the survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, after 'failure to find a job,' isolated and secluded youth cited interpersonal relationships (23.5%) and family relationships (12.4%) as reasons for being in crisis.

People eating lunch alone at a convenience store in Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han

Some secluded youth whom Asia Economy reporters met confessed that they lost trust in people after being hurt by close acquaintances or family and, in severe cases, became afraid to go outside. Experiences such as domestic violence and school bullying also trigger isolation and seclusion.

The fact that young people in their 20s and 30s find it difficult to build interpersonal relationships was also confirmed in surveys. According to a survey by market research firm Macromill Embrain, they worried about what to say when meeting and talking with others and often felt fear communicating face-to-face. (Related article: 6 out of 10 say "I feel lonely"... Complaining of relationship breakdown and deprivation)

Professor Kim Hye-won of Hoseo University’s Department of Youth Culture and Psychological Counseling said, "When meeting isolated and secluded youth, I found they had no human resources. They were in a state of complete deficiency," adding, "Because of this, even if they have many worries, they cannot share or discuss them. They lack opportunities to realize they are not alone in facing difficulties by seeing friends with similar concerns."

④ Smartphones Instead of Conversation... Youth Accustomed to Non-Face-to-Face Environments

Excessive dependence on online environments has become an obstacle to young people's communication skills. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT’s 2022 survey on main leisure activities, 44.3% of youth under 19 and 40.9% of university students answered 'using smartphones.' Only 8.4% of youth and 9.2% of university students said they participated in 'social and other activities' such as meeting classmates or religious activities.

Youth accustomed to non-face-to-face communication are increasingly distancing themselves from group life and community culture. According to the 'Youth Life Status Survey' released last year by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, 75.4% answered that they had not participated in any regular leisure-related group or club activities in the past year. When asked why they did not participate, 34.7% said 'no need,' followed by 'lack of time' (33.1%), 'lack of related experience, knowledge, or information' (11.3%), and 'economic burden' (10.1%).

Professor Lee Dong-hoon of Sungkyunkwan University, president of the National University Student Counseling Center Association, diagnosed, "Young people solve stress using smartphones rather than physical activity, and as they become accustomed to this method, communication with people decreases," adding, "As dependence on online environments deepens, they do not feel fulfillment when meeting people, ultimately isolating themselves."

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

<1>Youth in Isolation Met by Asia Economy
① I am a 28-year-old isolated youth... "A person who cannot 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... When emotional anxiety worsens, eventually

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

<3>Youth in Isolation and Seclusion Seen from the Side
① The 'COVID cohort' is at risk... Counseling calls surged this year
② Traces left at the end of isolation... "I want to see mom and dad, I’m sorry"

<4>Reasons for Isolation and Social Costs
① No job, no friends... Only a smartphone in hand
② Economic loss exceeds 11 trillion won... If neglected, the nation will also 'shake'