Chip Chick
They might begin questioning whether or not they are on the Autism Spectrum based on symptoms like repetitive body movements or overstimulation. The app also successfully demonstrates that there’s no “certain way an autistic person should look, act, or cope” and has been praised in online outlets for promoting Autism Awareness Month.
Is there a chance of self-misdiagnosis? Absolutely. But the normalization of mental illness and disability on the app is one of its greatest triumphs (versus some of its more mean-spirited content). Young people are now talking about overstimulation, ticks, and personality disorders without assigning them the cultural stigma they’ve carried since their clinical recognition.
The app is ever-evolving, meeting the culture where it is on any given day. It doesn’t rely on a manual full of terms that psychiatrists continually reinvent or find to be inaccurate descriptors. Guess we’ll have to wait for the DSM-6 for updates there!
How can young people cope when others mock them for self-pathologizing or being “dramatic” or “reactionary?” It’s simple; they can express their dismay at previous generations’ avoidance of mental health topics altogether.
After all, isn’t it better to understand what a good share of the population goes through, even if it turns out we don’t share the same condition?
Perhaps the Tik Tok generation will grow into adults with enhanced empathy or heightened awareness of the range of individuals’ capacities and challenges. After all, hyper-awareness seems better than willful ignorance.
And as a product of the information age, we are no strangers to fact-checking. Introducing young people to new ideas and a broader picture of everyday experiences can only enhance their understanding of the human condition, and therefore, help them grow into more informed, caring adults.
