Virtual fetish in the life of a brazilian hikikomori: a case report

• Main Authors: Cláudia Dias Prioste, Ranyella Cristina de Siqueira
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidade Estadual Paulista 2019-02-01
• Series: Doxa
• Subjects: hikikomori; isolamento social; fetichismo; fantasia virtual; cibercultura; psicanálise.
• Online Access: https://periodicos.fclar.unesp.br/doxa/article/view/12931

The hikikomori phenomenon, identified in Japan in the 1990s, is a psychosocial condition in which a person completely withdraws from society for six months or more. This problem has been increasing in several countries. The case reported in this paper is about a 38-year-old man that had withdrawn from work from more than ten years and kept isolated in his bedroom for more than five years. He used to play online games and access pornography websites in his daily routine. This case evidences the combination of factors that may have contributed to increasing the risk of social isolation: fragile narcissistic foundations, maternal oedipal fixation, difficulties to manage conflicts at scholar phase. Besides, it highlights the excessive fetishist, voyeuristic and sadomasochistic excitement with the internet.