South Korean Parents Enter Happiness Factory To Understand Their Kids, Know All About The Practice

In South Korea, a new initiative called the "Happiness Factory" offers a unique experience of isolation. According to reports, most participants are parents of children who are socially withdrawn, known as hikikomori. These parents, struggling to fully understand their children's feelings, voluntarily spend time in this special facility.

What is a happiness factory? 

For three days, these parents are placed in solitary confinement cells, dressed in blue prison uniforms in order to gain insight into their children's sense of loneliness. They are confined to small rooms with only a small hole in the door for food delivery. Phones and laptops are strictly prohibited during this period. Most participants are parents of children who have completely withdrawn from society and want to experience isolation themselves.

The goal of this programme is to enhance communication between parents and their children. This initiative is part of a 13-week programme run by the Korea Youth Foundation and the Blue Whale Recovery Centre.

How many people have participated till now?

As per the reports, last year, a survey by South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare revealed that over 5% of 15,000 young adults aged 19 to 34 were isolating themselves. If these figures reflect the broader South Korean population, approximately 540,000 people could be experiencing similar isolation.

Since April, parents have been engaging in a 13-week educational programme, funded and managed by NGOs such as the Korea Youth Foundation and the Blue Whale Recovery Centre. The programme aims to enhance communication skills between parents and their children.

As part of the initiative, participants spend three days at a facility in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon Province. There, they experience a room designed to mimic a solitary confinement cell. The goal is to provide parents with a profound understanding of their children's experiences and emotions through this simulated isolation.

What is Hikikomori?

In the 1990s, Japan introduced the term "hikikomori" to describe young adults who withdrew from society and stayed isolated at home for long periods. While hikikomori is not officially recognised as a clinical diagnosis, it is a social phenomenon impacting individuals of all ages. Today, parents in South Korea are adopting this concept as a way to better understand their children's experiences.