Tech Executive Warns TikTok Trend of 'Symptom Borrowing' Fuels Anxiety

A technology executive who has battled multiple mental health struggles issued a stark warning about a disturbing new trend on TikTok. Many young people are copying symptoms they have seen in viral videos, he claims. Josef Newton, who lives with OCD and ADHD, created an app to fight health anxiety. He called this behavior "symptom borrowing."

Newton defines the term as noticing, reinterpreting, or expecting physical sensations because you saw someone else display them online. "Attention, expectation and anxiety can amplify everyday physical feelings or behaviours that previously went unnoticed," he stated. Social media algorithms prioritize content based on past user interest. If a viewer watches one clip about a diagnosis, the app floods their feed with similar videos, Newton suggests.

This cycle fuels anxiety. Viewers start searching their own minds and bodies for signs that may not exist. These recommendations make rare diagnoses feel familiar and personally relevant to the observer. Experts warn of these dangers among those watching health content on social platforms. Just months ago, researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) noted that inaccurate posts about ADHD and autism could trick young people into thinking they have these conditions.

The UEA study reviewed over 5,000 social media posts across various sites. It found misinformation regarding ADHD and autism was consistently higher on TikTok than anywhere else. Diagnoses for ADHD have risen around twenty times since the year 2000. Currently, roughly 2.5 million Britons suffer from the condition. The NHS describes it as a state where "the brain works differently to most people."

Dr Eleanor Chatburn from UEA's Norwich Medical School noted that youth increasingly turn to social media to understand their symptoms. "While this questioning can be a helpful starting point, it's important these questions lead to proper clinical assessment with a professional," she said. Misinformation can cause misunderstandings of serious conditions or pathologize ordinary behavior. It can also delay diagnosis for people who truly need help.

Newton urged users to avoid content that frames normal experiences as signs of illness. Procrastination, feeling shy at parties, or getting tired after socializing are common examples. Other warning signs include noticing a behavior for the first time only after watching a video about it. "A great example of this is if somebody asks you to notice how your tongue feels in your mouth; it suddenly becomes difficult to ignore," he explained. The sensation was always there, but attention made it prominent. Health videos replicate this effect.

Newton said this does not prove a symptom is insignificant. He urged people to ask themselves if they noticed the sign before or if it ever caused problems in their lives. Users should also notice when the same symptom points to different conditions based on what appears in their feed. Tiredness might be labeled as ADHD one day and burnout the next.

Josef stated that checking symptoms after watching an informative video is perfectly normal. However, repeatedly monitoring them may end up maintaining fear rather than answering it. He added, "Pay attention to how you feel after consuming the content." Communities face real risks if online trends distort our view of reality and health.

If fear or confusion drives people to keep scrolling through these clips, the videos stop being useful health education and start becoming a trap. Experts now urge users to set a clear boundary by writing down their specific concern, stepping away from symptom-heavy content, and consulting an appropriate professional or reputable medical source immediately. One qualified conversation with a doctor is likely far more useful than another hour of watching conflicting videos on a phone screen.

He stressed, however, that people who experience symptoms after encountering health content online are not necessarily pretending or imagining them. The physical sensations can feel entirely genuine to the sufferer, and increased awareness may cause people to focus intensely on minor behaviors they would previously have ignored without question. At the time of the University of East Anglia study, a TikTok spokesman said: 'This is a flawed study that relies on outdated research about multiple platforms.' They argued that the facts show their team removes harmful health misinformation and provides access to reliable information from the WHO so communities can express themselves and find support.

TikTok has been approached for further comment regarding these growing concerns. The social media platform has previously been linked to misleading ADHD content in earlier investigations. Research published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry in 2022 analyzed one hundred TikTok videos discussing that specific condition. Scientists found that more than half were classed as misleading, while just around a fifth offered any real value. The team, led by University of British Columbia researchers, also found that most of the misleading videos had been posted by non-healthcare professionals without proper credentials.

There are legitimate fears that increasing volumes of such content, paired with symptom borrowing, could be behind rising diagnoses in a range of conditions across the population. 'The concern here is that few content creators are medical professionals and serve anecdotal evidence only,' says Newton. Social media often provides valuable education, language, and validation for those feeling isolated, but short-form videos do not replicate clinical assessments performed by trained doctors. Of course, TikTok can be the reason a user recognizes a genuine problem and seeks support, which is a positive outcome in itself. It becomes problematic when recognition evolves into constant monitoring of one's own body. Once you have learnt a long list of symptoms from online sources, your brain may begin to search for them constantly throughout the day.