Key points
- Researchers warn that a new wave of Tourette's syndrome cases may be linked to social media content, according to a recent study.
- Bizarre symptoms have appeared around the same time for no apparent physical reason in the past, but these were usually spread by word of mouth.
- The new case appears to have spread virtually and highlights the power that social media has in shaping new behavior trends.
A new study by German researchers warns of a bizarre mass psychogenic illness that is apparently being spread by social media exclusively.
According to the research team led by Dr. Kirsten R Müller-Vahl at the Hannover University Medical School, an increasing number of videos have been recently released on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram showing people who claim to be suffering from Tourette's syndrome — a childhood-onset chronic combined motor and vocal tic disorder. First identified by French neurologist Gilles de la Tourette in the 19th century, Tourette syndrome is chronically underdiagnosed but is still the most well-known childhood tic disorder.
This epidemic of new cases appeared to have started in 2019 after a German YouTube channel, “Gewitter im Kopf” (English: “Thunderstorm in the Brain”), was launched by a 22-year-old man called Jan Zimmermann. While Zimmermann does appear to be suffering from a mild form of Tourette's, the researchers examining his videos observed that many of the symptoms being displayed appear exaggerated,...
Read Full Story: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/media-spotlight/202109/is-social-media-causing-mass-psychogenic-epidemic
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.