Meredith Weighs in on the Surge in Self-Diagnosis Within Social Media Platforms

In a recent MinnPost article, mental health experts observed a trend in self-diagnostic behaviors on social media platforms, particularly Tik Tok. These posts come from individuals who are usually not medical professionals and tend to focus on specific symptoms of an illness rather than it as a whole. Liza Meredith notes that while this trend has many benefits, it has its faults. Mental health information on social media can raise awareness about mental health issues and encourage those who self-diagnose to seek treatment. However, social media tends to portray these disorders narrowly, leading people to fixate on specific symptoms. Social media rarely portrays the full criteria or the complexity of the condition.

Liza Meredith, PhD, Contact Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Composed by Madison Stromberg, communications assistant.