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/crimson777 16d ago

There's something to be said for an accumulation of evidence IMO. I think there are, of course, too many people just reading stuff like this and diagnosing themselves. And some of the stuff is total BS like "if you like hearing this sound in stereo go from left to right, you have ADHD." So I'm not in support of it, per se.

But on the other hand, the things that made me seek a diagnosis as an adult were things like "staring at a textbook for an hour without actually getting past a page" or "caffeine providing a boost of focus but not providing a lick of energy" and other things that are anecdotal but common to a lot of ADHD folks.

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u/DefiantMemory9 16d ago

Yeah but the difference is you sought a proper medical diagnosis. You didn't self-diagnose and then went around claiming everything you do/experience is an ADHD symptom.

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u/crimson777 15d ago

Sure. But my point being that there is some benefit to the idea of non-clinical, anecdotal experiences that can help people pursue a diagnosis. It’s just gotten out of hand and with things that aren’t even really anecdotally related.

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u/DefiantMemory9 15d ago

I would agree with you if only those who got a clinical diagnosis or at least those who felt their symptoms were bad enough to seek one were sharing their experience as ADHD symptoms. But that's not what we have right now.

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u/jbowen1 15d ago

Mine was when my wife, a first-grade teacher, was filling out a screener for one of her students and I noticed that I ticked every single box and it dawned on me that this is why it was always so difficult to do the normal things that most people just do.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

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u/crimson777 15d ago

Seeking a diagnosis here means “I thought I was normal before this, and realized I had something wrong with my brain, so now I knew to go to a doctor.” It’s okay to think you might have a specific issue so long as you don’t try to force it, lie, etc. to get said diagnosis.

If I go to my doctor with some symptoms of high blood pressure, it’s not a problem if I tell them what I think I’m dealing with.

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u/pittaxx 15d ago

You need to realise that you have a problem to go to a doctor.

ADHD is especially tricky, because the problems it causes is something everyone deals with, they are just dialed to 11. Because of this lot of people don't get diagnosed and develop depression, anxiety disorders and worse.

We need to fight the misinformation, but the awareness is too low as it is to discourage people learning more about it.