Tik Tik Tik... BOOM Dynamite! • eSCAping Type 1

There’s a pretty good chance the US government bans TikTok within the next few days. So, to show YOU why that’s a bad idea, here’s another post dedicated to the app that stole my heart.

First and foremost, please watch these two videos explaining what is going on:

Which brings me directly to my first point – TikTok users can INSTANTLY access many quick takes of various world events. Between credible sources and first-hand accounts, more people can actually (kind of) understand what’s happening around the world right now.

You know how you can use YouTube to see how to fix your dishwasher or make a birthday cake? Yeah, TikTok does it better. Between Life Hacks, workout routines, parenting models, recipes, and maintenance tips, you can be the next DaVinci, no problem.

Ah, but what if (like me) you don’t want to learn how to build a motorcycle or speak Mandarin or clean a gutter? That’s ok! The algorithm is really creepy but really cool. Like, my “For You” page is full of Toddler Activities and Disability Hacks, because that is what my phone (well, China, I guess) has decided I’m interested in, based on what other videos I interact with.

And right along those lines is the infamous #SelfDiagnosis TikTok trend!

Basically, you’ll probably relate to a video showing you some weird thing that really hits the nail on the head. And then your FYP will start showing you similar things. And then you learn that those are actually Social Anxiety symptoms, or common neurodivergent experiences, or even examples of Autism…

I’m really convinced we ALL have some undiagnosed mental health problems.

You see, growing up in the 90s (I really hate how old that makes me sound now) only young boys had ADHD, only teen girls had depression, only crazy people were bipolar…

We didn’t know that “normal people” had these issues, too! We didn’t know there is a wide range of symptoms for each disorder. We didn’t know feeling or thinking a certain way meant you could be sick, not just “different.”

It’s nice knowing your problems are real and not just unique or made up.

You don’t have to go to a doctor. You don’t have to tell anyone. You SHOULD utilize “self-diagnosis” for good knowledge and support, rather than actual medical advice.

Ok, this might seem random, but my kid is currently fixated on the Solar System (which means I am, too), so bear with me on this metaphor for a minute:

I think a lot (two words) of us can relate to Pluto. We were chillin’ with our other planet friends, and we always thought we were normal just like them when all of a sudden we were told, “Nope! You’re not like the others! You’re different! Bye!”

So, for a while, we felt lonely, confused, and scared. Not a single other planet was experiencing what Pluto did. There was no one to relate to. Other planets could sympathize, but not emphasize.

And then we learned about the four other dwarf planets in our solar system! They’ve always been there, we just overlooked and ignored them before. We didn’t realize they have far more in common with Pluto than those other guys. Oops.

At least, that’s how it was being diagnosed with Ataxia. All my life I thought I was ‘normal’ until a doctor called me and said, “Nope! You’re not!”

So I felt lonely, confused, and scared until I discovered general Facebook Ataxia support groups, and then girls with chronic illnesses on Instagram, and then the entire disability community on TikTok. The more specifically niche, I got, the more I could relate.