Self-Diagnosis and Social Media: Tips for Talking to Your Kids

Teenagers get all sorts of information from social media. Some good, some not so good.

And just like adults, a lot of the information (and misinformation) they’re seeing is about health. As more people share their personal stories of neurodivergence, mental health, migraines, nutritional deficiencies, diet sensitivities, and other medical conditions, these conversations are moving into the open. And the flood of this content is leading teens to a central question: Do I also have this condition?

This has led to a wave of kids seeking a formal diagnosis for conditions they've already begun to identify with, often based on vague symptoms with a wide array of possible causes. For parents, it can leave them unsure of what to do next.

Any time your child shares a concern about their health, it's important to take it seriously. Even if it's on trend and doesn't seem consistent with what you've seen from them.

UVA Health Children’s clinical psychologists Emily T. O'Gorman, PhD, and Evan J. Anderson, PhD, share their advice for navigating healthcare information on social media.

Is there value in social media for mental health?

O’Gorman: I do like seeing mental health being talked about more. There's some destigmatization on social media that is probably ultimately good. If these are things that we're able to talk about, then people are going to get the help that they might need.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks? I don't know. The risk of social media can be so much broader than just self-diagnosis. There are a lot of legitimate risks and concerns there.

There's also a little bit of a danger in labels and over-attaching to them and letting that become you as a person. But there's still some benefit to being able to accept all the parts of yourself.

What or whom can you trust on social media?

O’Gorman: It’s hard because you usually don’t see people’s credentials on TikTok. Look at all social media with a healthy dose of skepticism. Encourage that skepticism in your teen.

I encourage people to use reputable sources for mental health information. This includes:

• Medical journals
• ADDitutde, a website about ADHD
• American Psychological Association
• Healthy Children, the American Academy of Pediatrics parenting site