More Teens Are Getting Diagnosed With Tics — Fingers Point To TikTok Videos
Image via Funstock / Shutterstock.com
Since the pandemic began last year, doctors around the globe have reported an increase in the number of teen girls being evaluated for tics and mental illnesses, with some saying TikTok videos could be the culprit.
According to The Wall Street Journal, doctors had been baffled by the sudden spike in patients (of that age group) reporting symptoms of tics, as well as mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. And the cause of this alarming trend could be due to social media, with medical journals citing teens had been watching more videos of individuals with mental illnesses or Tourette’s syndrome on TikTok.
Tourette’s syndrome, which is a genetic disorder affecting one’s nervous system, has gained a niche foothold on the popular video platform, with an increasing number of teens displaying repetitive actions or sounds in their videos. Many familiar with the trend have called out those faking the illness, though it seems that instead of stopping, those involved have moved on to the next “cool” disorder.
Dr Kirsten Müller-Vahl, a doctor from Hanover, Germany, told The Jerusalem Post she saw a patient who claimed to have suffered from Tourette’s, but didn’t seem to have developed her own unique tics. She eventually found out the patient had been imitating a German YouTuber, who had amassed an online following from sharing about her life with the illness.
Another specialist, Caroline Olvera, who works at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, told The Journal she had seen patients whose tics involved repeating the word “beans” in a British accent, although they weren’t British — or even spoke any English. She, too, learned that they had picked this up from a popular TikTok creator.
According to Insider, most doctors shared the consensus that these teens could be suffering from functional movement disorders, which could have been exacerbated by anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic.
In the past, if a psychological issue spread among teens, it was usually confined to a small geographical area. However, with how popular social media is, child neurologist Mariam Hull said in a study that these disorders could be spreading across the globe.
“Some kids have pulled out their phones and showed me their TikTok, and it’s full of these Tourette cooking and alphabet challenges,” Hull told The Journal.
If you’ve a teen in the family who’s been developing strange movements or tics, it’s best to suggest a social media time-out, and for parents to review what content their children are tuning in to. Doctors also advise that if these symptoms cause problems in real-life, these teens should be brought to see a specialist.
[via Insider and The Wall Street Journal, cover image via Funstock / Shutterstock.com]
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