I see a lot of people blaming tiktok and “brain rot” content for the increasing ADHD diagnoses, but I think its a matter of better detection, similar to how OCD and autism diagnosis have increased too.
Also as someone with ADHD, it feels like shit that it could be “my fault” or that I have brainrot.
Depends on who does the diagnosis and for what reason.
First of all, self-diagnosis specifically linked to TikTok trends or other social media is a very dumb way of claiming to have ADHD or any defining trait of some kind. Enough users do this to make it an issue of general perception of the actual state of things.
So while I’d say that detection has increased, the alleged “brainrot” has followed as well - for the duration of the trend’s popularity.
Self-diagnosing in general is dumb. That’s why Depression, ADHD, Anxiety, PTSD even and even Autism are seemingly record levels.
It’s discrediting actual sufferers and once again putting them under the rug. It pisses me off when I see bodycam videos, right away, the person arrested immediately starts going over a laundry list of mental issues that they have. All the while screaming, resisting arrest and shit.
Then we got armchair psychologists and therapists on the internet who practice without a license (or knowledge) that actually “grants” people these issues after just sitting down and having a conversation with someone.