Hikikomori, vulnerability of the ego, and digital media as phármakon

Abstract

The paper advances a psychoeducational account of prolonged social withdrawal in adolescence, often discussed under the Hikikomori phenomenon, framing it as an extreme manifestation of self vulnerability, namely a reduced capacity to withstand emotional, social, and performance demands when contexts fail to provide sufficient regulation, predictability, and belonging. Withdrawal is examined as a developmental trajectory sustained by avoidance processes and by a progressive increase in the perceived cost of participation. Within this framework, the digital is positioned as both an interpretive and an operational axis: a phármakon (Gallese et al., 2025; Miatto et al., 2025) that may either support the reactivation of participation or, conversely, consolidate withdrawal, depending on the educational guidance shaping its use. The argument is further specified by considering the role of executive functions and self-regulation in modulating the sustainability of participation, with implications for the inclusive design of school contexts.