Hikikomori - The E-Hermits Caught On Film

Having been called an e-Hermit before, and accused of spending more time online than I do interacting with the fleshworld people around me, I was very interested to read about Francesco Jodice's new film Hikikomori.  The eponemous subjects are adolescents and young adults, predominantly Japanese and well-educated, who have chosen to withdraw from meatspace society and continue most if not all of their socialising via the internet.

There's a BBC report on it, and a lengthy Wikipedia entry, but neither can encapsulate it quite as well as seeing these young people and the nests they create for themselves, hearing them explain why depression, social antipathy and sexual apathy have led them to create alter-egos online.  It's well worth watching.

Francesco Jodice (click 'Works' then 'Hikikomori') [via picturephoning]