A person's culture and society have a great influence on development and growth. Cultural and social expectations can sometimes cause a tremendous amount of stress to an individual and result in mental disorders. An example of this would be the prevalence of anorexia and other eating disorders in Western society due to a distorted sense of body image. Similarly, Asian countries have seen an increase in young people withdrawing socially for long periods of time. In Japan, this term is called “hikikomori”. It is a rapidly developing syndrome in which adolescents “lock themselves in their rooms for months, years, or sometimes even decades at a time, with minimal social contact” (Rosenthal and Zimmerman 82). Although these two conditions are most commonly understood in their community, some experts have estimated that there may be as few as one million hikikomori within the Japanese population (Furlong 309). The most common behaviors that can be attributed to this condition are dropping out of school, developing an addiction to the virtual world or alternative reality, and being confined to one's homes. However, the assumption that they never leave home is wrong. Some leave their homes daily, but they usually leave at a time that allows them to avoid social contact, such as early in the morning or late at night (Furlong 311). Although these core behavioral characteristics have been identified, the main issue as to why psychiatrists are unable to distinctly define hikikomori is due to the vast number of behaviors classified under the same term (Rosenthal and Zimmerman 83). For example, social isolation, the main component of hikikomori, can include diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders or even “psychotic illnesses” (Teo and Gaw