Wonderful, wonderful review. I love how you pointed out all of the parallels in this particular episode. It shed some new light on all of the underlying themes of the series, and I feel compelled to go back and re-watch this episode yet again because of it.

Also:
I especially think of those Japanese kids who hide away in their bedroom, quit going out, quit interacting with their parents; I believe there's a special Japanese word for that pathology but I've forgotten it.

The word you're looking for is, "otaku". Or, in the case of computer geeks, "pasokon otaku". ;)