In 2021, thousands of teenagers suddenly developed the same violent tics, every medical test came back clean, and the real cause turned out to be hiding on their phones.
spacedaily.com
A mysterious wave of severe tics swept through teenagers worldwide, baffling neurologists until investigators uncovered a digital culprit reshaping adolescent behavior in real time.

A mysterious wave of severe tics swept through teenagers worldwide, baffling neurologists until investigators uncovered a digital culprit reshaping adolescent behavior in real time.

  • jtrek@startrek.websiteEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    Müller-Vahl asked the obvious follow-up question. What she found was that almost every patient in the outbreak had been watching a small number of Tourette influencers with very large followings who documented their own tics on YouTube and TikTok.

    Why the fuck do these influencers exist.

    • Skullgrid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      to help expose people with tourette’s to those who don’t know what people with tourette’s live like so that more people can treat them with dignity.

      • jtrek@startrek.websiteEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        When I read “influencer” I read it as like “grifter”. I concede what you’re describing may not be bad.