Do we really want women self-diagnosing ADHD through TikTok?
I’m not a heavy user of TikTok for many reasons, but mostly because I’m in my 30s and too far gone to learn a new social media platform. In the last year or so, though, I’ve been seeing more and more TikTok videos appear in my other feeds — and I’ve been noticing an interesting trend.
Of course, my friends and family often send me TikTok videos of things they know I’ll enjoy — gardening ideas, cleaning hacks, snarky commentary about influencer culture. But this is different. This is a very specific, popular, and potentially dangerous genre of TikTok that can only be described as “ADHD Explainers Designed for Clarity but Probably Ending in Self-Diagnosis.”
I want to be clear: There’s no shame in finding solace online, especially if you live with a neurodivergence (either suspected or diagnosed) that can make day-to-day life overwhelming or isolating. Many, many users have discovered a community they didn’t realize they needed in online spaces. These communities can be massively educational, comforting, and validating.
#ADHDTok, though, does present possible risks — and it highlights some of the most glaring issues with American health care.
