it must have been, but with the internet remote activities have diversified enough to allow to have what would qualify as part time job without leaving the room/house.
For instance blogging, affiliate ads, game streaming, youtube ads, etc.
This might not a big part of the pie, but it’s not 0 either.
In the article they state that people that are hikikomori don't have a job. I would assume that if you are a content creator with income that stays at home all day you would be left out of the study.
I think as a large scale societal issue, we are about to see a lot more gatekeeping where modern, microtransaction, power-law distribution of revenue income streams don't really mean anything financially, but will disqualify participants from help and assistance to "save program money". If you amazon turk'd once for $2 total, you have a "job" so no help with medical care for you, etc.
Its likely the way the market will "fight" modern gig economy business models is by weaponizing socialized support systems. If you ever uber and make $5 or get $50 from admob annual income for a youtube channel, you're "a rich self employed small businessperson" with substantial legal and taxation reporting requirements and an official "job" so no college student loans for you, no food stamps, etc. Fight the business model by drying up the supply. If the only people doing mturk, uber, or recording youtube content are either dirt poor or independently wealthy, that will eliminate that segment of the marketplace via lack of supply. The income from gig economy isn't enough to live, so survival will dictate abandonment of the gig economy. The legacy marketplace players have a large financial motivation to implement something like this. I don't think taxi drivers or legacy TV network execs will oppose shenanigans that wipe out the gig economy.
It’s still pretty vague, my rough translation: “people who didn’t participate in social activities, like school or work for more than 6 months”.
Also it’s stressed that this time they didn’t automatically remove at home spouses, and they were flagged as hikikomori if they had almost no interaction outside of their family.
I wouldn’t surprised if blogging or content creating on the net would be excluded from “social participation” or not seen as communication in general.
For instance blogging, affiliate ads, game streaming, youtube ads, etc.
This might not a big part of the pie, but it’s not 0 either.