Report by Duncan Williams for News Advertiser newspapers
There is a growing sense that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD - has gone from being a relatively niche medical diagnosis to a defining feature of modern life. On TikTok, Instagram and Reddit, millions of people now describe themselves as “neurodivergent”, share ADHD memes, or discuss executive dysfunction as casually as they once discussed stress or tiredness.
To some, this represents long-overdue recognition of a condition that was historically misunderstood and underdiagnosed. To others, it feels like a cultural overcorrection - a moment in which ordinary human distraction is being medicalised and amplified by the internet.
The truth is likely somewhere in between.
ADHD is real, clinically recognised, and often profoundly debilitating for those who live with it. Yet it is also true that modern digital life increasingly rewards fragmented attention, compulsive stimulation and emotional impulsivity - behaviou…
