"Fake Disorder Cringe" And Why it Needs to Stop.

This is gonna be a bit of a vent, because I've been incredibly angry and a certain group of people for many weeks now.

One day, I guess somehow on YouTube a video popped up in my recommended. "Fake disorder cringe" by a YouTube channel called CompilationChannel (congratulations on the worlds most creative name /s)

This is the first of their now, as of writing this, 22 part series. Full of random tiktok videos, from mostly kids and teens, "Faking" disorders such as Tourette's and DID. Those seem to be the two most common anyway. I say "faking" in quotations because I think its ridiculous that these people, probably just random teens themselves, think they can determine who is faking and who isn't through a screen, when even esteemed psychologists would admit they cannot diagnose through a screen. Its not possible. So why are all these people claiming they now can?

Now I won't deny that I don't think none of the people in these videos are faking. I'm sure some are. Especially those young kids with their hoodies or bathing robes on backwards to hide their face, doing a subpar imitation of Tourette's. Albeit very offensive ones at that. I doubt any of them actually have Tourette's. If they did I don't think they'd have a reason to hide their faces. Other than maybe not wanting people at school to know its them, though I'm sure that wouldn't be hard for others who know them to work out. Anyway, I'll get back to that in a bit, if I remember. But I am sure a good few of the people featured in these compilation videos aren't faking. Especially when some of them literally mention the fact they're diagnosed.

How these make it in to these compilations? I don't know. A pattern I've seen, having watched a lot of these compilations mere hours after they are published, often there'll be a couple tiktoks in there by actually diagnosed people, only to be taken out of the video a couple hours later. I don't know why the creator does this. Why put them in the first place only to take them out about 24 hours later. It makes no sense. How do these videos end up in there? I have a feeling the creator 1. Thinks DID is a purely factitious disorder and doesn't actually exist, and 2. Doesn't even take diagnosed people seriously and thinks they're still faking.

If I'm right, this creator is a terrible, terrible person and I hope their channel may get taken down soon. I would love for all these videos to get taken down, but of course, I'm just a random 19 year old at their laptop. I could try reporting them but I'm sure YouTube wouldn't care.

The thing that bugs me the most, is the comments are full of support, people often saying things like "As someone with [insert disorder here] I absolutely hate that these people are faking and they need to be called out etc." While I can understand these people's frustration, I don't think they realise that by calling out "fakers" they could be doing more harm to their own community than good. Its what I see often. People think they are doing good by calling out (and pretty much just bullying) these "fakers" but let me tell you why it does so much more harm than good.

I will use the example of autism here because its what I can personally relate to the most.

A lot of the videos by diagnosed people that I've seen end up in these compilations have been Autistic people. Mostly doing that thing where they listen to a certain audio/song and show themselves happily and innocently enjoying it by stimming along. Aaaaand then they get lumped into these compilations. Because people see happy stimming, and they equate that with cringe. Why? Because they're ableist! I know isn't it such a revelation. /s

They see people happy stimming and enjoying themselves as cringey, and they take the example of a couple of these types of videos that went viral and then it was revealed that the creator was "self diagnosed" (which doesn't even mean they're faking but now isn't the time for that conversation) and now they think that any autistic who comes online and happy stims to a song is faking. Which is absolutely ridiculous if you know anything about autism and stimming. Back when this whole "happy stimming to music" fiasco happened, something that was common is diagnosed autistic creators duetting these happy stimming videos staring at the screen with a blank face with the cynical captions of "I'm actually autistic and I don't react to this sound like that" or some videos by siblings shoving camera's in their autistic, probably brother's face and saying "They don't happy stim to this". I find this argument incredibly stupid and here's why.

Take two neurotypical people. Play the same song for them. One might shrug, maybe bop their head a little bit, and finish it saying "yeah it was a good song." The other might start dancing, smiling bopping their head harder than the other, tapping their foot, and finish saying "wow that was a great song!" Two neurotypical people, would react to the same song differently. So therefore, why should it be the conclusion that all autistic people should react to a song in the exact same way. Its ridiculous. Especially when its common knowledge that autism is a spectrum. Its in the name. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Spectrum implying that everyone presents differently and experiences autism differently.

And so this whole argument that it must be fake because "i don't stim like that when i hear it" is ridiculous.

But back to the point.

This is harmful for the autistic community. To point the finger and call it "fake" and "cringe" is incredibly harmful for the autistic community. For years many autistics have been forced to mask their stims in public in fear of getting stares for being a weirdo. We're already seen as "cringey" for stimming as it is. But now we have an added fear on top of that. Now we can't stim in public, because if we do, people will think we're doing it for attention because we want to be the quirky uwu white girl with autism.

And this is why these compilation videos are harmful for many other disorders too. The stereotype of the "fakers" usually presents as white, afab teens, usually more masculine presenting, with dyed hair with a quirky aesthetic/style of some kind. For some reason the internet has also given this stereotype the name "Emily" though I really don't understand where this comes from, all the Emilys I know are wonderful, pretty "normal" people. But anyway. Now, if anyone happens to fit a lot of those labels, they'll immediately be pinned as a faker just because they happen to be a white afab teen.

What these people don't realise is maybe it's the other way round. Its not that all white afab teens who are trans masc with an emo or e-girl style end up faking their disorders. Maybe its because people with neurodivergencies and mental disorders flock to the "misfits" type of style, interpret gender differently, and so that's why they all happen to fit this stereotype.

I find it incredibly disconcerting that people make these videos and find them entertaining in the first place. If you saw that thumbnail, you can see that they included a video of someone incredibly distressed. And they put it in a "cringe" compilation. And put it in the thumbnail. It's disgusting. Taking someone's distress and using it as a haha funny cringe moment. It's downright disgusting. I don't care if they're faking. I'd rather believe a faker than fake claim a genuine because the latter definitely does more harm than the former.

Not to mention it's also rather disconcerting that most of the people in these videos are kids. Videos by kids are being taken without their knowledge or consent and being put into "cringe" compilations that thousands of people watch. I don't care what you say, its disgusting. Laughing at a child who doesn't know any better and showing their life to thousands who will laugh at it and point the finger is disgusting. And to add another layer on top of that, the @s of most of these kids tiktoks are still available in the video. So the viewers will go and attack them for being fakers. They'll attack these kids into hiding. Into severe mental illness. These kids could end up in hospital or dead, because some idiot on the internet took their video and put it in a stupid "fake disorder cringe" compilation without their consent and did not blur their username or face or anything. I hate to be blunt, but that is the reality. And that is why these videos make me so incredibly angry and disgusted. And its why i find it so hard to just ignore the issue and move on. This is doing so much harm. To the kids in the videos, to the communities mentioned.

It's absolutely disgusting, and it needs to stop.

I doubt many will read this but if you do, please speak out against these videos and save more kids from harm. Save our communities from harm.

I'm so sick of people being so hateful to others. If you just respected people and minded your own business the world would be a nicer place. Then maybe these kids wouldn't have to resort to convincing themselves they have a mental disorder so they can escape from the world by pretending to be the people they look up to the most.

If you have engaged in these videos, laughed at them, added fuel to the fire. I'm sorry but you disgust me, and I hope you can think about the harm you've caused, and apologise and change.