I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a hikikomori since I do go outside sometimes and I go to school, but most of my time is largely spent locked away in my bedroom; and I’m okay with that.
I’ve always been somewhat timid and quiet. As a young child, I would try to avoid being around people as much as possible, I enjoyed being alone in my room and doing things like drawing and reading. At school I had little to no friends, but I was okay with that, I enjoyed my own company.
Years later I am still like this. I have a very small group of friends who I barely talk to, but they have stuck with me through school.
I did have a phase where I pretended to be confident since my parents complained about me being quiet and ‘looking depressed’ all the time, not to mention the bullying at school.
But I learnt that there’s no use in pretending to be something you’re not and I accepted my introverted personality, even if others disapproved.
I think the greatest reason I’m a shut-in is that I just see no need to interact with others. I mean there is no real reason to interact with other human beings in the ‘real world’ because most of them are either morons or mindless sheep without a single bit of creative thought between them.
I don’t know which is worse, to be a hikikomori or be a plastic fake so that you can be ‘successful’, make ‘friends’ and be a ‘contributing’ member of a shallow and materialistic society.
I know it sounds rather arrogant of me to say that, but it’s true. I find most people to be very judgmental and selfish, I just don’t want to deal with them.
Modern life is difficult. So many responsibilities are dumped on you at a young age and parents are having higher and higher expectations of their children.
Parents have no idea what it’s like to be a teenager in this generation so it’s no surprise to why many cripple under the stress.
For me, solitude is bliss. That is something the rest of my extroverted family will never understand. They associate reclusiveness with negativity and they don’t understand why I don’t want to be with others.
They get their ‘energy’ by engaging in social activities, whereas I feel drained when I socialize, I gain happiness from being alone and nobody seems to get that.
It’s not that I hate my family, I could not live without them, they just aren’t willing to listen and are far too busy making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.
I’m not saying that being a hikikomori is good and I don’t view myself as better than anyone else, I just enjoy solitude and I’m not NEET.
Being away from other humans makes me happy. Nobody can judge you. You can do whatever you please, away from conflict, away from the crooked rot that is this terrible world. Just you and yourself.