Is TikTok giving people Tourette’s Syndrome?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2021

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

Clinicians around the world have noticed an increase in young adults, often women, developing ‘tic-like behaviours’ – sudden movements or vocalisations similar to what’s seen in Tourette Syndrome. Except these tics come on much later in life, and escalate more rapidly. Some have blamed the recent rise on social media – but the reality is much more complicated. Madeleine Finlay talks to Guardian reporter Sirin Kale and research psychologist Dr Seonaid Anderson about the young people experiencing this debilitating disorder, and what can be done about it.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Guardian.
0:09.0	Over the past few years,
0:10.0	over the past few years,
0:12.0	doctors around the world have noticed something very unusual.
0:17.0	I want to talk about this story so much that I'm getting all flabbergasted here.
0:22.0	This is the strangest phenomenon.
0:23.8	Teenage girls showing up at their doctor's office
0:26.6	with these strange ticks.
0:28.2	A big rise in young adults, often women,
0:32.2	presenting with rapid onset tick-like behaviors, sudden movements or
0:37.6	vocalizations, similar to what you might see in someone with Tourette's Syndrome.
0:44.0	When clinicians began to try and work out what might be driving this phenomenon,
0:50.0	some speculated that it might be linked to social media accounts like this one
0:57.0	Hi everyone my name is E. Breg. I'm 21 years old and I have Tourette's syndrome.
1:02.0	Oh! Sorry years old and I have Tourette's syndrome. Who!
1:03.0	Oh, sorry.
1:05.0	For good, isn't it?
1:06.0	Sorry.
1:08.0	This is Tik-Tock influencer Evie Megg, who raises awareness about Tourette's syndrome to her 14 million followers
1:17.7	by giving people insight into her life, cooking breakfast, doing gymnastics or just hanging out with friends.
1:24.8	And we're going to try best scrambled eggs.
1:27.8	There you go, there's a, oh, oh,
	...

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