Overcoming the Threshold of Isolated Youth Minds... What Technology Steps Up as the 'Problem Solver' [Youth Isolation 24 Hours]

Young Adults with Severe Face-to-Face Anxiety and Isolation Comfortable Online
Mission Completion and Counseling via App → Support Recovery
Japan Operates Online Counseling Available at Night

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 unable to ask for help when sick or out of money... 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 'eundunhyeong oetoli' (reclusive youth) are stories from a different world, now is the time to properly reconsider isolation and seclusion.

"The most difficult part is getting isolated and reclusive youth to come out to support sites. Getting them to come every week itself is not easy. Often, we hesitate to encourage them by phone, fearing it might be a burden."

Youth who are isolated and reclusive find it difficult to engage in outside activities, and even if there are programs supported by the government, local governments, or private organizations, the act of moving to the site itself is burdensome, making it hard to ask for help. Experts evaluate that a kind of 'mental threshold' is at work. During the [Youth Isolation 24 Hours] coverage, Jang Bo-im, Secretary General of Gonggamin, mentioned this as the most challenging part in supporting isolated and reclusive youth.

A young man is sitting alone in a cafe in Seoul late at night. Photo by Heo Younghan

Youth who are reluctant to go outside are familiar with online life. According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, more than 7 out of 10 isolated and reclusive youth perceive external information mostly through online channels due to their limited outside activities. The response rate for "relying heavily on online activities that require less money and time" was high at 38.8%. It is common for them to watch online video streaming services (OTT) or immerse themselves in social networking services (SNS) on their smartphones at home.

Various non-face-to-face support measures that actively reflect the characteristics of isolated and reclusive youth are emerging everywhere. Although the advancement of IT technology has intensified interpersonal difficulties for young people in their 20s and 30s, it is rather being used to solve isolation and seclusion problems by leveraging the youth’s familiarity with non-face-to-face environments. The key is not to stop at non-face-to-face activities but to create an environment where isolated and reclusive youth can gradually reintegrate into society by overcoming their mental thresholds.

"Mission Accomplished" - Gradually Regaining a Sense of Achievement Online

Since 2020, Seoul City has been implementing policies to support isolated and reclusive youth and plans to launch a self-directed online platform for these youth in the second half of this year. This is based on three years of experience, which identified that the most difficult part for isolated and reclusive youth is having the courage to come out to related centers to receive support for the first time.

Lee Dong-geon, Youth Vitality Team Leader of the Youth Business Division at Seoul City’s Future Youth Planning Group, explained, "We judged that face-to-face counseling has some limitations in providing services to all isolated and reclusive youth, so we want to create an online platform to allow more youth to participate." He added, "We decided to create the platform to lower the threshold and build a foundation where more youth can participate."

Examples of Online Activities of Isolated and Reclusive Youth in Seoul (Photo by Seoul City)

Seoul City plans a step-by-step process where youth can access non-face-to-face programs online anytime and anywhere without time and space constraints, and gradually come out to offline support sites such as the Youth Stretch Center. Programs will range from activities that can be done at home, such as sunbathing, cleaning the room, stretching, and reading case studies on overcoming seclusion, to outdoor missions like taking a walk around the neighborhood or along the Han River, and riding Seoul’s public bike system, Ddareungi.

Since isolated and reclusive youth may find it difficult to consistently participate in programs even if they have the will to improve their condition, a system to supplement this will also be established. Participants will earn points each time they complete a mission to feel a sense of achievement, and a communication system will be built into the platform so participants can leave comments and encourage each other. Lee said, "We plan to pilot the program and continuously reflect improvements. We hope many more people will participate compared to offline programs."

Before Seoul City, the nonprofit organization Seeds, which created the online platform 'Dudeoji Ttanggul' for isolated and reclusive youth, also established channels where youth can share their experiences and feel a sense of achievement through online contests or challenges. Programs include visiting places they wanted to go or have never been to, then uploading verification photos and location introductions. Although seemingly light, these programs are designed to provide a significant sense of achievement for isolated and reclusive youth. Lee Eun-ae, Director of Seeds, said, "At first, we tried face-to-face counseling, but the characteristic of reclusive youth is that they do not appear at the site," and added that through the process of seeking support measures, they realized the need for an online channel to obtain related information and thus created Dudeoji Ttanggul.

"Feeling Like Catching a Plastic Bottle Floating in the Sea" - Resolving Isolation Through an App

Mental health-related services developed by startups and private companies also serve as communication channels for isolated and reclusive youth. Increasingly, young people in their 20s and 30s who need help but find it difficult to visit hospitals or counseling centers directly are seeking solutions through non-face-to-face methods.

One such service is Mindling, an online mind care application created by psychiatrists from Seoul National University. Mindling analyzes users’ tendencies and categorizes them into five types: 'Eomgyeogi' (perfectionist), 'Kongkongi' (anxiety), 'Beoreoki' (anger), 'Godogi' (isolation), and 'Mulleongi' (self-esteem), providing suitable services accordingly. Among these, the 'Godogi Program' is designed for users facing isolation and seclusion issues. It reflects characteristics such as negative self-perception, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and reluctance to reveal oneself to others.

Online mind care application (app) Mindling's 'Loneliness Program' explanation screen for the isolated vulnerable group (Photo source = Mindling homepage capture)

Among the 30,000 paid users, mostly in their 20s and 30s, about 30% use the Godogi Program. The user base is predominantly job seekers and university students, with more males than females using the program. Moon Woo-ri, a psychiatrist and CEO of Fortify, the operator of Mindling, explained, "Men tend to try to solve problems alone more than women, so they seem more inclined to try solving them through the app," and added, "Godogi Program users show the highest levels of depression and emotional difficulties compared to other types."

At the beginning of the program, users with isolated and reclusive tendencies are shown their situations through characters to help them externalize and recognize their behavior and thought patterns. Then, the program suggests ways to cope with various situations in interpersonal relationships and helps users create a 'safety device' to soothe themselves when they feel distressed. Moon said, "Elsa from Disney’s Frozen is actually a Godogi, isn’t she? We try to help by saying, 'You have wonderful parts. Let’s discover them yourself.'"

Last year, a university student who used the Godogi Program expressed gratitude, saying that during an internship, they successfully used their personal safety device whenever they faced interpersonal difficulties and completed the internship safely. Moon added, "A Mindling user once described it as 'feeling like catching a plastic bottle floating in the sea.' Using the program not only reduces depression but also increases self-efficacy."

"Vulnerable at Night" - Japan Provides 24/7 Non-Face-to-Face Counseling Service

Japan, which showed interest in the 'hikikomori' issue earlier than Korea, has also established online support measures for isolated and reclusive youth.

Introduction scene of Japan's 'Anatanoibasho' platform (Photo by Anatanoibasho official website capture)

The Japanese platform 'Anata no Ibasho' operates a free, anonymous counseling service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for people at risk of isolation and seclusion in Japan. The platform’s name, 'Anata no Ibasho (あなたのいばしょ),' means 'a place where you belong,' implying a space where vulnerable people in isolation and seclusion can open up their hearts. Since its launch in March 2020, the platform conducted nearly 300,000 counseling sessions by March 2022 and continues to see rapid user growth.

This is a measure to improve the environment where counseling centers dealing with vulnerable issues like isolation and seclusion face staff shortages and cannot provide counseling outside working hours. The platform’s website states, "The time with the highest suicide rates is from midnight to early morning, and most counseling occurs during this time. It is difficult to secure counselors during these hours, and operating counseling services 24/7 has always been a challenge." Although counseling is online, the platform emphasizes that counselors must undergo over a year of training.

Anata no Ibasho collaborates with various entities, including the government, administrative agencies, schools, and companies in Japan. In April, it signed agreements with local governments such as Ikoma City in Nara Prefecture, and in May with companies like Lenovo, to expand support for vulnerable groups facing isolation and seclusion. Koki Oozora, Director of Anata no Ibasho and a former hikikomori, has served as a planning committee member for the Japanese government’s website on loneliness and isolation countermeasures and as a member of research groups on solitary death and isolation based on his experience in establishing and expanding the platform.