Anyone else really bothered by TikTok ASD portrayals?

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I find these increasingly aggravating. In the attempt to reduce stigma and stereotyped there's self diagnosed and self appointed experts discussing the ins and outs of their lives and if that resonates maybe you too have autism.

I think that's so dangerous.

TikTok is a really terrible platform.

So I don't visit that website, and thus cannot be annoyed by it.

SickTok is making human brains go smooth.

Only heard of it.

Never paid too much attention.
Never owned a TikTok account. Unless business tells me to -- otherwise, I'm not a regular user or content consumer of TikTok.

Nonetheless.
I'm more than used to the fact that nothing resonates with me.

So why so many people are, whether or not they're autistic?
Again, with the common circumstances of those with social anxiety and anxiety issues all over again.

The pattern did not changed a bit.
But the audience sure did.

I'd rather ask what this means for the users and the populace involved than about autism's portrayal, perception and whatever associations as a label.

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I'm getting very tired of those portrayals. Those people need to get hobbies.

I'm always more worried by the people who immediately dismiss such people as fakers more than the alleged fakers themselves.

I have no time for people who want to portray anyone who's self-diagnosed as obviously faking because the bulk of people who go on to be late, but professionally diagnosed were first self-diagnosed. As long as there a significant number of undiagnosed people out there and inadequate resources to get them all diagnosed I think attacking people for faking on the basis of self-diagnosis is idiotic.

I'm not sure those sorts of people actually even care if the person has a professional diagnosis, I'm sure many of them would keep dismissing the tiktoker as self-diagnosed and a faker even if they literally showed their report that includes the diagnosis.

I don't see any danger with people who strongly relate to the traits associated with autism considering if they might have autism. That seems like how someone who's undiagnosed might first encounter the idea that they're actually one of us and not just stupid, lazy, difficult, etc.

I'm honestly pretty active on tiktok and don't have a terrible lot of problem with the ND videos I see. Maybe it's because I engage mostly with videos that are simply about the relatable (to other ND ppl) aspects of being ND, as opposed to videos that are there for education. But very few of the videos I've come across are actually wrong.

I also don't find the posting about being neurodivergent to be very different from what I do over on tumblr. The only reason I stopped doing it on tiktok is because my boss and people who actually know me in person kept finding my tiktoks.

Frankly, I do enjoy being "different". I also have a professional diagnosis. I also was terrified of being a "fake" neurodivergent to the point it was an OCD theme. I didn't really solidly accept my autism until I was professionally diagnosed.

There's a lot of similar on Mastodon, but it isn't nearly so annoying. That may be because on Mastodon you can't fish for 'likes'.

Hmm...
If I were try to deduce where such portrayal came from, I might guess it came from whatever fandom community -- and portrayed in a certain archetype no less.

Most of which comprises of teenagers and young adults.
The archetype itself is likely a generational thing.


Autism or no autism -- they just want to know "who they are".
It's a situation different from seniors and really late diagnosed cases who all wondered all their lives if they're the only ones instead of being in a state of 'finding their peers and where they belong'; but many seem to not know the distinction.


Again, highly likely personal users who passes around memes and viral stuff -- not advocates who educates such topics.


I myself am not worried about whatever portrayals they show themselves as.

And I could care less if they're being 'tricked' into thinking they're ND and not simply a struggling NT who cannot fit in and wanting to be special -- could care less if they dye their hair and self mutilate or scream supremacy on the roof tops and disrupt whatever livelihood they're rejected out of by not learning how to read.

Autism, ADHD, even neurodiversity itself are but one of the many things that are being upswept by a tide of collective realizations.


And I'm waaaaay past the phase of questioning myself whether or not I'm autistic since 15.
Far from the insecurities as to when not to mask; or the fear of someone ever questioning or discovering it.

I might be at it, too, if I were 15 today instead of a decade ago. Just less portrayals and more 'feeling relate' -- and might even be a reason to survive...

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Not everyone can afford a diagnosis, and there are very good reasons to not get diagnosed as well.