The danger of social media’s influence on Neurodiversity
The danger of social media’s influence on Neurodiversity – how false information and representation of what it’s really like to be neurodivergent is affecting people
- By Lauren Duffy
Lauren Duffy, presenter, producer and ambassador for the British Dyslexia Foundation
We have a lot to thank social media for in recent years. On the positive side, it’s got us talking more about neurodivergent conditions like Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, ADHD to name a few. Having creators on social media platforms posting content sharing their experiences of living with a neurodivergent conditions has no doubt helped start us looking at neurodiversity differently in the way the variety of conditions’ traits can present in individuals completely differently.
Greater awareness online from hearing real stories and people’s experiences of fighting for a diagnosis has supported in shifting the mindset around neurodiversity, that it’s ok to be different, if anything it’s something we should be embracing and celebrating in society. According to the BBC, creators on TikTok have taken the hashtag #ADHD to more than 20 billion views, helping to spread awareness and normalise ADHD. Social media content around neurodiversity not only puts different generations at ease in knowing it’s not only them going through this, but also what you can do to help and support yourself in your own neurodiversity journey.
This however can be one of the dangers of unregulated content online surrounding neurodiversity, searching for help and support. Anyone who looks for help whether that be yourself or someone in your support system wanting to seek advice, you’re most likely at your most vulnerable. Even though it’s wonderful that social media users mainly want to help raise awareness for neurodiversity, unregulated content can cause more harm than good.
It’s never been easier to post videos and spread your message to potentially millions of people. The dangerous thing about this is that there are creators on the app claiming to be experts in the field of neurodiversity and the processes for clinical diagnosis, signposting users to what they believe is the right help, but can actually be more detrimental.
According to HealthHive, a recent cross-sectional study of 100 relevant ADHD videos on TikTok found a little more than half were misleading. I want to reiterate what I said at the beginning of this article, it’s fantastic that people are talking about neurodiversity on social media, creating relatability, community and breaking the taboos around being different to the majority of neurotypical society. But a huge problem that comes with unregulated content surrounding neurodiversity comes a false narrative of what it’s actually like to live with neurodivergent condition/s.
Especially with ADHD, some of the most well-known signs of ADHD are difficulty concentrating, impulsivity, hyperactivity and emotional dysregulation. All of these traits overlap with trauma and anxiety symptoms which mirrors ADHD behaviours; making it a complex diagnostic challenge which needs support from a trained clinical psychologist specialising in neurodiversity. So having some of these traits doesn’t mean you necessarily have ADHD.
According to Khiron Clinics, trauma can impair attention, leading to inattention and distractibility, which are core signs of ADHD. Similarly, hyperactivity and impulsivity can stem from traumatised nervous systems, making it difficult to distinguish between trauma induced behaviours and ADHD characteristics. As a result, misdiagnoses are not uncommon, further complicating appropriate treatment strategies. Emotional dysregulation is another shared feature of ADHD and trauma, which compounds into a diagnostic challenge.
Both trauma and ADHD can manifest in emotional outbursts, mood swings, and difficulty managing feelings, in both adults and children. Most recently, BBC Journalist turned fully qualified child counsellor Kate Silverton has spoken out about the immediate presumption that emotional dysregulation is ADHD. In Kate’s interview with The Telegraph she said “parents should not be too quick to diagnose and label children with ADHD; when they could be struggling to deal with their emotions.”
What Kate is saying is if you have concerns about a child’s behaviour, always seek professional support. Look at the child as an individual and make sure the assessments are done rigorously.
ADHD is complex, as someone who lives with the condition it’s much more than feeling restless or hyper, it’s the constant battle over analysing yourself and your behaviours, pushing yourself to concentrate in work and social settings when you’re battling through brain fog as well as the need to procrastinate. It’s the emotional restlessness that I feel inside every day and as a woman with ADHD, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t mask my neurodivergent traits in public; causing me to be feel burnt out when I’m in my safe space. All of this of course can mirror anxiety and other mental health conditions, that’s why in a legitimate ADHD assessment it takes a full day, not to mention the vigorous pre-assessment information gathering of your upbringing, statements from relatives regarding your behaviour in your life and what challenges your currently facing you believe are down to ADHD.
It’s a long, gruelling and tough process; especially if you receive a diagnosis it’s positive in the long run knowing how your brain works. It’s also incredibly emotional, which is why posting about ADHD or any neurodivergent condition shouldn’t be taken lightly. Neurodiversity and ADHD has always been around so it shouldn’t be seen as a social media ‘trend’ to say you have a condition like ADHD; videos and comments that are unregulated like “I’m a bit ADHD”, “after watching this I’ve definitely got ADHD” or “I’m so ADHD” are too apparent.
This not only gives a false narrative of what it’s like to live with a neurodiverse condition like ADHD, but it also increases self-diagnosis from online and devalues someone who actually has a condition. The message I want to get across from writing this article is if you believe you have signs of a neurodivergent condition/s that’s impacting your life, absolutely explore this and go down the assessment route. But please, do your research from genuine and legitimate sources.
Social media platforms like TikTok are great for short form content, especially if you’re anything like me were watching short videos help you process and take in information. But if you’re searching “neurodiversity”, ask yourself these questions about the content creator who is posting these videos before you dive into watching:
Who is this person? Are they an expert in neurodiversity? What is their background in this field?
Is the account a legitimate source of information? For example, are they a centre of support for neurodiversity?
What do I want to find out from this content?
Is this creator trying to sell me something? If it’s a quick, easy fast track assessment then this a big red flag.
Resources:
https://adhduk.co.uk/
https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/
https://n-attc.co.uk/
https://www.davislearningfoundation.org.uk/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/diagnosis/
https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
About the author:
Lauren Duffy is Presenter, Producer and Ambassador for the British Dyslexia Association. She has presented on TV, radio, podcasts and digital platforms interviewing some of the biggest names within the media industry. Lauren is proudly neurodivergent; which she has faced adversities with throughout her life. But this has made her even more passionate and determined to raise true understanding of neurodiversity in education systems, workplaces and in society.