新冠病毒期间，“御宅”生活方式流行

随着世界各国政府要求封锁对抗新冠病毒，对于许多国家来说宅在家里生活已经成为一种“新常态”，包括中国在内。
As governments worldwide impose lockdowns in an attempt to contain COVID-19, life indoors has become a "new normal" in many countries, including China.

 

An increasing number of people have decided¹ to stay home to pursue hobbies with a determination bordering on obsession².

 

The Japanese word refers to people who become engrossed³ in hobbies, particularly anime and manga. The former is a style of Japanese film and television animation⁴, while manga refers to Japanese comic books and graphic⁵ novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children.

 

Most otaku are millennials who become obsessed⁶ with a particular aspect of popular culture to the detriment⁷ of their social skills. As a result, the term has also become synonymous with the word "homebody", used to describe someone who prefers to stay at home for long periods and refuses to go out.

 

During the pandemic, many people have found it easy to live solitary⁸ lifestyles, as social distancing is practiced to contain COVID-19.

 

Millennials－adults in their 20s and 30s－who have been under lockdowns in major cities worldwide, including Beijing, Tokyo and New York, face the prospect⁹ of further isolation¹⁰ after the outbreak, but experts said this generation is best-prepared for such hardships.

 

"Homebody culture" first emerged in societies with developed economies and a mature consumer culture.

 

In the 1980s, many young people in the United Kingdom were known as "couch potatoes", as all they did after work was lie on a sofa, eat junk food and watch TV.More than 30 years later, a new generation still finds it hard to get off the couch, and even out of the house, despite being aware of the health risks posed by leading a sedentary lifestyle.

 

In Italy, such people are known as pantofolalo, the Italian word for slippers¹¹. A media survey in the country found that 57 percent of Italians prefer to stay at home reading, cooking, surfing the internet, watching TV, or even exercising.

 

In South Korea, more people－young and old－are taking to life at home.

 

The country's internet penetration¹² rate exceeds 75 percent and its online games industry is highly developed.

 

In late 2016, a report by the South Korean Ministry¹³ of Culture, Sports and Tourism showed output in the country's cultural content industry that year reached $3 billion. The online games industry, which is highly popular among South Korean homebodies, contributed $1.5 billion of this total, ranking second in the world.

 

In the United States, more young people are also staying at home.

 

In 2018, a study published in the journal Joule found that people ages 18 to 24 in the US spent 70 percent more time at home than the rest of the population. Another survey that year, conducted by the marketing¹⁴ research company Mintel, showed that those in this age group preferred to drink at home, as they said going out required too much effort. Only 15 percent of US baby boomers said they wanted to adopt such a lifestyle.

 

In China, the number of otaku surpassed 400 million last year, underscoring a steady growth trend, according to big data intelligence services provider QuestMobile. Those in the 25 to 34 age group accounted for more than 40 percent of homebodies.

 

Although "homebody culture "was initially¹⁵ popular in Europe and the US, China has seen exponential growth in internet users, especially among Generation Z－those born between 1995 and 2009. The country's otaku now far outnumber those in other countries and regions.

 

Online medical services and food deliveries, as well as livestreamed fitness and education classes, have grown rapidly in the first quarter of this year.

 

Offline businesses quickly shifted to online operations, while supermarkets launched delivery services, catering¹⁶ to more customers staying home.

 

Consumers have been urged to order goods via phone apps, and e-commerce platforms have helped farmers promote their products via livestreaming.

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