Hikikomori in South Korea in Wired Magazine | Tim Franco

Tim Franco's work has been published in Wired Magazine.
Tim photographs the hikikomori of South Korea, people who have withdrawn from society and human contact for so long that many have forgotten skills such as how to interact with other humans. There is help available, but for some on the path to rehabilitation the Covid-19 lockdowns has put their progress at risk.

“Hikikomori struggle to socialise, and I realised that taking direction while being photographed might be a challenge”, says Franco. “I quickly discovered that screens were a certain source of comfort, so I had my subjects look at theirs, and then used their computers’ brightness as a kind of atmospheric lighting.”