r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 16d ago

Neuroscience ADHD misinformation on TikTok is shaping young adults’ perceptions. An analysis of the 100 most-viewed TikTok videos related to ADHD revealed that fewer than half the claims about symptoms actually align with clinical guidelines for diagnosing ADHD.

https://news.ubc.ca/2025/03/adhd-misinformation-on-tiktok/
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u/StoppableHulk 16d ago

This is where sometimes professionals do a bad job of explaining critical differences.

ADHD have a normal capacity for working memory - the potential for it is there - but in practice their memory is always clogged up by the sheer volume of thoughts they have, so they have less available working memory for self-directed tasks they attempt.

And you'll find you have an extraordinary volume of working memory - when you're doing tasks you actually enjoy. Because that's when you're not only focused, you're hyperfocused.

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u/Uturuncu 16d ago

So absolutely true. My memory is not so great, even just remembering to do basic body maintenance tasks like tooth brushing or sometimes even eating just. Don't happen sometimes.

But just the other day there was a thing I did in a video game that was essentially a low-context geography test for the video game's world and hooboy. I did so well at it I was almost embarassed. Why is my geography for a fake world so good when the other day I forgot to go pee and had an accident??