'A fine line between reducing stigma and trivialising conditions': Social media, self-diagnosis and the glamorization of ADHD

Over the last few decades, the number of people going online for their healthcare needs has skyrocketed.

Google receives hundreds of millions of health related search queries daily .

Half of U.S. adults under 50 now get health and wellness information from podcasts or social media influencers .

In her book " Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health " (Oneworld Publications, 2026), author and journalist Dr.

Deborah Cohen explores the impact social media, influencers, trends and tech are having on our health.

She investigates how algorithms are pushing content that heightens concerns and potentially drives people away from traditional healthcare systems.

In this excerpt, Cohen looks at the portrayal of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on platforms like TikTok, where self diagnosis and the proliferation of "lesser known symptoms" as entertainment runs rife — but the reality of the condition is far more bleak.

"Despite it All" has been short-listed for the 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize .

Many ADHD symptoms exist on a spectrum throughout the general population and identifying impairment and frequency of symptoms as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a judgement call.

These symptoms often overlap with anxiety, depression and learning disabilities.

Responsible clinicians should rule out alternative explanations before diagnosing ADHD and prescribing medication.

This nuance sometimes goes out of the window when you go online.

Viral videos on Instagram and TikTok list "common signs" of ADHD describing their impact on daily life.

Megan McHugh, a UK DJ and radio host, is one content creator who has gone viral on TikTok after listing "lesser known" tell-tale signs of the condition with a video captioned: "Six ADHD behaviour traits you might not have known about." She cites overpromising and wondering: "Why the fuck can I not just say no?" "Your long-term memory is fucking shocking… You have some sort of subconscious tic, usually, whether it's pressing your lips or scrunching your nose," McHugh told her followers.