Who among us hasn’t thought, at least once, that we have ADHD? Maybe after reading the result of a quick test done on Instagram or after stumbling across a video on TikTok. It is precisely in this way that many people today come across this acronym for the first time. But what really is ADHD? Are we finally learning to recognize a condition that has always existed, or have we simply started to label as “ADHD” any concentration difficulty linked to our hyper-connected life rhythms?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. For any medical information it is essential to contact your doctor.
The (dangerous) role of TikTok: does ADHD become an “aesthetic”?
Social media have had the great merit of giving a voice and a community to those who have always felt “different”. However, the proliferation of crude video tests like “If you always see this green object, maybe you have ADHD” or “Put a finger down if…” has created a dangerous short circuit.
Recent studies show that over half of the content on neurodivergence on social media is inaccurate or without scientific basis. ADHD is increasingly simplified and “romanticized”, reduced to a cool label that promises creativity and unbridled genius. This narrative risks trivializing the disorder, obscuring the real daily struggles of those who live with it.
When a complex neurobiological condition is transformed into a “desirable quality” to make a bio on a dating app appealing, you risk taking a step backwards. Perhaps the real challenge today is not so much to immediately label, but to learn to stop and try to understand what is really behind the behaviors and efforts of those around us.
What is ADHD: far beyond the myth of the “distracted child”
ADHD (from English Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), known in Italian as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has existed long before social media and has been described in medicine for over a century. For decades, in the collective narrative, he has been belittled with unfair labels: laziness, lack of commitment, bad education. Today science tells us otherwise. ADHD is one neurobiological condition. This is a different way in which the brain develops and functions, struggling to regulate attention, impulses and motivation. There are three main symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Research doesn’t have all the definitive answers yet, but genetics and environmental factors play key roles. At a neurobiological level, one of the causes could lie in the pruning (the “pruning” of connections between neurons). During childhood and adolescence, the brain eliminates less-used neural connections to become more efficient. In ADHD, this process appears to be less refined in areas that regulate attention and impulses, leaving more “noisy” circuits. Paradoxically, according to some research, this neurological configuration can unleash exceptional divergent thinking, promoting creativity and problem solving.
Another fundamental factor is the dopaminethe neurotransmitter linked to reward and motivation. In ADHD, dopamine is regulated differently, making slow, repetitive tasks unbearable, while novelty or urgency captures all the attention. And this is where social media comes into play with their notifications, their likes and infinite scrolling, offering exactly the continuous micro-rewards that a brain in search of stimulation desires.
Diagnoses on the rise: more awareness or hypermedicalization?
Over the past two decades, diagnoses have exploded, especially in high-income countries. Globally, it is estimated to affect 5-7% of children and 3-4% of adults. In the United States the numbers are even higher, also due to diagnostic procedures that are sometimes too rapid.
In Italy, the situation is complex. AIFA APS estimates around 1.2 million people with ADHD (2% of the population), but the figure is probably underestimated. Reaching a diagnosis in our country is a long process, there is a lack of clear guidelines and there are few specialists.
Furthermore, the symptoms vary enormously. ADHD isn’t just the “hyperactive male.” In women, the disorder is often “invisible”, masked by simple distraction, organizational difficulties and emotional instability, leading many girls to never receive a diagnosis. In adults, it often manifests itself as chronic fatigue in managing daily life: delays, forgetfulness, disorganization and a constant sense of overload that can lead to anxiety, depression and sleep disorders.
The risk and effect of social media is not just an increase in self-diagnosis. That “we are all a little neurodivergent”, but also a progressive simplification of the disorder. Because by always seeing the same content, the disorder changes shape. It becomes a story, it becomes aesthetics. And at that point the most fascinating and most tellable traits come to many: creativity, originality, intelligence outside the box.
