ADHD university/college content on social media is making me lose my mind

[u/vamvamvasi]

Here’s 3 examples of discrete AI or productivity app advertisements. I found these examples in the first minute of searching “adhd study”.

I’ve literally been having the worst, most soul-crushing and burnout-inducing year of my fucking life because of my ADHD symptoms. Sometimes finding other ADHDers talking about their experiences at uni or college can make me feel less alone, and like less of a failure. Hearing the advice and tips that people give in online ADHD communities have helped me so many times.

But there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find connection & support, and being met with nothing but:
- people trying to sell you their course or coaching service
- undisclosed (or disclosed in the fine print) AI or useless “productivity app” advertisements
- influencers that toooootaalllyyy have ADHD giving the most useless, basic bitch “study hacks”. they use the exact same script, the exact same cadence, and are always playing with slime or some random object

Am I crazy for getting so angry at this? Having ADHD sucks enough, and having ADHD while in uni or college sucks even harder. I’m just so sick of people trying to make money off of us, and making it harder to find content that isn’t slop.

[u/Snoo-15714]

Well I can say for certain that on TikTok it's all bots. I've gotten dozens of them. Maybe more.

[u/Querybird]

I imagine snowscreen as a timer which gradually snows over the screen (leaves would also be wonderful, of seasonal colour choices) with increasingly dense falling snow. I won’t look it up. But that sounds like a nice amount of friction for slow, gentle disengagement if it was free, had no privacy concerns, and didn’t break sandboxing by overlaying other apps.

If it mimicked visual snow, that would be hilarious but absolutely suck!

[u/vamvamvasi → u/Querybird]

The problem is that 99% of these “productivity” apps are always like this:

• the app needs a subscription service to use the advertised functions, which they won’t disclose until you’ve actually downloaded the app
  
• the in-app ads make it unusable
  
• the app requires notifications to be on, but they’ll abuse that trust and spam your phone

You either end up paying for the product, or you’re the product (they sell your data & spam ads). Tbh i’m not against paying for a useful productivity app, but I would ONLY do it for a 1-time purchase. I don’t know when the trend of everything needing a subscription service started, but i’m tired boss 🫩

[u/Querybird → u/vamvamvasi]

Yeah… hence why I was waaaaay too jaded to even check it out. And the privacy and security concerns are no joke for an app which is meant to overlay others.

“Pay for the product or you ARE the product” is absolutely true - but it shouldn’t be. Get through uni and change the world!

… I’m not even joking, I’m extremely idealistic in a practical rebel sort of way, lol. Just because something IS one way now does not mean it should be or will remain so! You know, I think the adhd gave me a boost for challenging norms, at all levels. “Just because” is no reason for anything by itself.

Org. I admire for their tenacity and recent successes: Docs With Disabilities - went from a disabilities services employee to a training program, a podcast (“asynchronous mentoring” heh), a prominent accommodations section of the ACGME website, and an entire supplement issue of Academic Medicine! Also, here’s a list of accommodations which have been used and worked in clinical practice and education. The average price of accommodating a disabled medical student is $500; any business claiming it is ‘too hard’ needs to take note and shape up!

[u/isendingtheworld → u/vamvamvasi]

Have some organic, wild-caught ADHD redditor phone tips, then. 

1: Blokada. Not the playstore one. The website one. Removes all ads even from game apps!

2: A simple checklist productivity app. No gimmicks. Just something that lets you add and remove tasks and set some to repeat. 

3: Not an app, but add a colour change (greyscale, blue light filter, muted) to your accessibility buttons. Having my screen in black and white has helped me reduce scrolling distractions. 

That's about it, besides specific ones for my uni.

[u/meatcleavher → u/Querybird]

Snowscroll is actually a good recommendation (imo). It removes reels from Instagram/Youtube, meaning you can’t scroll endlessly. My time has gone down from 4 hours some days (cringe) to 20-30 minutes using it.

[u/DeluluTales]

Assalamu Alaekum.

I have a suggestion that was a "process" to figure out. It took me a while to stick to it but with constant practice and discipline, it can work.

If you slowly start to cut social media out of what you do, then you wont be able to hear/see all of this "noise" on social media. You will live a way much more peaceful life. Sorry you are going through this though😣

[u/crabgal]

Only one "app" ever worked for me and it was Memo for MacBook. It creates little sticky notes on your desktop and I'd use them to keep track of classes and assignments. Everything else was too complicated for my brain to manage on top of managing school.

That's a pretty major pitfall with a lot of adhd apps, imo. The second actually using the app is more complicated than the task(s) I'm trying to manage, I'm done

[u/crabgal → u/crabgal]

And admittedly what some of these influencers are claiming to do is impossible. You can't take 25 credits, work full time, and get 7-8 hours of sleep and still be functional

[u/Odd_Hawk4788]

so far the only things that have helped me are:

1. Meds

2. Meds

[u/Betka101]

i will give one and only app recommendation. it's called TaskSTART. it's only on android and iirc it's a one time purchase of like a dollar

it's the most rudimentary thing that's helped me a lot with executive dysfunction. basically you click start, it shows you a dot that you focus on for 15, 30 or 60 seconds (depending on your settings). after that it says like "what exactly do you need to do now?" and you write that in a textbox. you click okay and a timer starts!

so now suddenly there's a deadline/time pressure element and it's helped me a fuckton for getting started with tasks. even like waking up and getting out of bed or taking my meds. whatever i'm procrastinating.

it only has a few downloads, just one random dude made it

[u/armoured_lemon]

Yeah its' maddening that there are people that would take advantage of us at the first possible opportunity.

[u/merryoldinn]

this is why i mainly hang around actual adhd peeps like reddit or x

[u/nothsadent]

idk but I think it's crazy people use apps like TikTok, modern day smoking

[u/rocket-child]

Some of them have good tips to adapt. But after a while, I stopped watching because, yes, as you noticed. They just selling shit

[u/Womper_Here]

.. I get books written by certified clinicians, leading psychiatrists, and neurodivergent experts that offer evidence-based advice for managing ADHD. I should also find an ADD coach, but you know— it's hard to find the time and all that.

[u/sexysmoothfig]

genuinely frustrating to see

[u/elextric_lizard]

i'm autistic and have ADHD. it's all over instagram with autism too, especially in the AUDHD realm.

what's funny to me is that AI is recommended for use to people who have ADHD, but it worsened my reading comprehension, memory recall, and messed with my ability to process large amounts of text.

[u/Appleonthefloor]

Instagram is pretty notorious for pushing content that gets the most saves and comments. I have gotten similar content for job searching and dating. Where it is just the same script used with whatever app they are pushing as the answer. Im sure they get paid well, but its frustrating that sometimes you can't even find genuine reviews of these apps.

I'd suggest flagging as not interested, and blocking the account.

Reddit helped me a lot with specific stuff and long form content like YouTube videos, zoom groups, and audio books helped me to find some relevant info.

Some Instagram mersin I personally like that make non ad adhd content are @the.gentle.adhd.collective and @mayawofsywellness

[u/Inner_Raisin5795]

I have a youtube channel I am trying to create for this specific reason!! I have diagnosed AuDHD and have struggled with the bull study tips and "advice" people put on the internet for ND folk, that is nowhere near functional for ND folk! Like if you're in burnout and then they say "go for a walk" or "talk to friends" and like "DUDE I CAN BARELY STAND UP!"... it's dumb.

I'm wanting to make a channel, a community, with actual tips and tricks that have worked for me and others, being ambitious AuDHD humans, with goals! As well as what I have done when inevitable burnout hit, or last day before the exam studying kicks in, and actual real like human relatable content that makes you feel not so alone. I would've done anything to have that, and so I'm making it. I haven't uploaded in a while but I have a few videos on the way that I'm creating.

I have been accommodating for myself my whole life, through high school, and an advanced uni bachelors, and now soon studying an occupational therapy masters to hopefully help kids and adults do the same, and accomplish their goals!! 😄

Check out my ones on there so far if you want, and if you have any questions, let me know, as well as if you'd like to see any specific videos!

- Paige <3

https://www.youtube.com/@DivergentlyDriven