The expression is used in a masochistic way about 'a person who has lived abroad and become ignorant of Japanese fashion or felt awkward,' 'a person who has just returned from his or her place of assignment and who gets confused by changes at the head office,' or 'a person who has been away from society and who doesn't know about current affairs or new technologies and feels that he or she has been left behind.'
「日本国外に住み日本の流行に疎くなったり違和感を覚えてしまう」「出向先から戻って本社の変貌ぶりにまごつく」「世間から離れていたために時事ニュースや新しい技術を知らず、時代に取り残されたと感じる」などの状態を自虐的に表現する際に用いる。