“Tell Me You Have ADHD Without Telling Me You Have ADHD”: Neurodivergent Identity Performance on TikTok
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: User-generated content about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most popular health topics on TikTok. Because most creators are lay people, yet they attract a wide audience, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of the information shared. Through critical discourse analysis of #actuallyADHD and #ADHDprobs videos, this study examines the content of these videos as they relate to creators’ ADHD self-disclosure. Analysis showed that platform affordances and performance practices of videos focused on humor and personal experiences rather than educational medical content. I argue that in user-generated ADHD TikTok videos the performance strategies of creators and platform affordances of TikTok indicate these videos function as identity work rather than health information.
Source: Social Media + Society
Author: Abigail D. Leveille
Institution: University of Illinois Chicago
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,000
OpenAlex ID: W4401520061