by GISSELE GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
TikTok and other social media platforms have increased awareness of psychiatric and developmental disorders. This is a good thing but also has drawbacks that many people may not consider. In recent years, people with mental health conditions have used social media to share personal experiences and information that helps people with their own disorders better, find community, and learn new coping strategies.
The mass amounts of online content regarding mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders run the risk of spreading misinformation. Although there are some content creators that are experts on the topic, most are not. This can make it difficult for viewers to distinguish between correct and incorrect information.
Some content about mental conditions tends to over-generalize symptoms. This is called trivialization, a phenomenon in which illnesses are minimized and considered easy to have, acquire, or treat. Content that trivializes mental illness not only discredits and devalues the diagnosis but also undermines the severity of the disorder and promotes misleading and harmful stereotypes.
People may notice that their own experiences align with the symptoms presented and self-diagnose themselves. However, experiencing symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have a disorder. Social media self-diagnosis is a useful tool for those without access to healthcare, but it is dangerous if the diagnosis is incorrect.