[…] this technology is horrific for attention. It’s a thermonuclear ADHD amplifier and I have seen the same effect in every single one of my adult friends. Folk running 3 screens simultaneously working on totally unrelated “projects” they have little hope of maintaining, and such little commitment to the outcome that the time is obviously wasted.
Worth a read, whatever your opinion on LLMs.
I hate this framing of ADHD as being “basically doomscrolling”. ADHD is a profoundly distressing developmental disorder that takes a decade or more off the lives of those of us with it. It’s marked by severe executive dysfunction, emotional disregulation, a terrifying fear of rejection, environmental sensitivity which can be overwhelming, impulsive and risk taking behaviour, constant short term memory problems, frequently comorbid dyspraxia, connective tissue problems, mast cell activation syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and a whole host more.
We face higher lifetime risks of early death from cancer and cardiovascular disease, higher rates of dementia, are more vulnerable to sexual and domestic abuse and violence, and greater rates of suicide.
It’s not the internet joke diagnosis of “being addicted to your phone”.
Why the hell would doctors prescribe schedule II controlled drugs (amphetamine, methylphenidate) for a “phone addiction”?
I knew dyspraxia was a potential one, but I’ve met shockingly few ADHD folks with it, at least the same flavors of very-fine motor impact I have with it.
I think one of the fundamental problems is that we treat mental disorders like they’re some sort of specialized set of adjectives. Being unfocused is “ADHD”. Being shy or fixated on a specific topic is “autistic”. Being emotionally charged in a stressful situation is “bipolar”. We do that and it undermines what it’s actually like to have and deal with those conditions every day, and makes people who actually have them seem “crazy” or “creepy” to people who are just ignorant. It really sets the general consensus back hard.
It doesn’t help that it’s not a mental disorder, but a biological one, largely neurological, that we understand a lot about one of the brain-structure causes now.
The problem is that doom scrolling and repeated exposure to bursts of endorphins creates a physiological syndrome that mimics some of the symptoms of ADHD due to slightly similar reasons, but not all of them.
And those of us who don’t have it but live with someone who does and doesn’t think they need meds to help… it’s a terrible disorder that doesn’t just effect the person who has it. I really really hate that it’s downplayed so much on the Internet.
@SupraMario it took me until the age of 51 to get diagnosed. I thought I had “some traits”. Turns out I have severe ADHD. There was a deep and profound “oh f**k” moment when I realised what that meant.
My diagnosing clinician was surprised I was still alive.
What sucks is that it ruins relationships for those of us who know the person has it but they don’t think they do or use the Internet to do a “lol I have ADHD, what’s your super power?”. I have a ton of sympathy for you all who know you have it and want help but have docs who think you’re just fine, because everyone these days runs around saying they have it.
If you can’t tell I’m dealing with this situation, and they are basically pushing me away because they think they’re just fine, and I’m the issue. Yet all their relationships always end in the other person being the issue, and everyone being against them. ADHD sucks and it’s so shit how social media has turned it into just some joke. Like it’s a “hah” disorder and not a life altering disorder that needs serious help.
Someday the person may have the ‘aha… fuck’ moment and think back to you. I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with it. I’m ADHD only diagnosed about 5 years ago but my work’s CEO is basically 15 years older, SUPER undiagnosed, and has money/power/sycophants so he will never truly ‘deal’ with any of it, even as he may be actively ruining his company and his behavior is causing the best people to quit. The defense mechanisms go deep. We can’t force introspection unfortunately…
Wow! I have ADHD but I wasn’t aware of all that! The cardiovascular and cancer thing really got me! But yeah I feel you…some times I wish I had this phone addiction and none of the other symptoms.
@HumbleBragger Stimulant medication gets you pretty much all your life expectancy back btw.
Oh no. I need my amphetamines to function (properly) but they will eventually kill me. What an impasse.
The low life expectancy and the demetia does not come from the ADHD itself but rather from the fact that ADHDers often do not get enough sleep and use both legal and illegal drugs (to which we get adicted easier) to compensate for our ADHD.
Also the world pretty much forces you to adapt into a system you are not compatible with. ADHDers have a delayed sleep rythm and we need on average one hour more sleep than the average human.
@HumbleBragger I mean, that’s the point: they won’t (unless you are unfortunate enough to get the cardiovascular side effects)
You’re also describing Borderline Personality Disorder. This is why I can’t get a clear ADHD diagnosis.
@KyuubiNoKitsune BPD is one of the most common misdiagnoses of ADHD, especially in women.