Time Blindness: TikTok’s Trending Topic Explained

While time blindness is very common in people with ADHD, both professionals agree that everyone occasionally struggles with it. “That’s the whole reason we say ‘time flies when you’re having fun!’ However, people with ADHD have brains wired not only for easy distraction but also for frequent hyper-focusing that puts their brain kind of on autopilot where they become fully consumed and unaware of the passage of time,” Dr. Grimes explained, adding that all people who have time blindness should have systems in place to prevent them from being late.

“Everyone with ADHD knows the necessity of planning ahead and checklists, but implementing strategies can take some serious trial and error. And social media apps are designed to have NO END POINT, so we watch a zillion TikTok videos or YouTube shorts or Instagram stories…and that will make most of us time blind, ADHD or not. I encourage people who struggle with time blindness to reach out to their family physicians, psychiatrists, counselors, coaches, and therapists to find the best combination of strategies that will work for them,” added Dr. Grimes.