Are Hyperfixations on the Rise?

Exploring Whether Autistic Special Interests & Hyperfixations are on the Rise

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Have you noticed that almost every person in this generation seems to hyperfixate or have special interests? So many Gen Zers flippantly use the term “hyperfixate” when describing the love for their passions. In this post, we are going to explore whether or not hyperfixations are on the rise, and discuss if hyperfixating on interests really makes someone neurodivergent. I’ve discovered that people seem to fall into three main categories, and determining which you fall into is beneficial for understanding yourself and others.

What Are Special Interests & Hyperfixations?

Before we discuss whether or not hyperfixations are on the rise, we need a foundational understanding of what both hyperfixations and special interests are. While I occasionally use them interchangeably, hyperfixations and special interests actually are different. I will be writing a post breaking down the differences in further detail later, but for now, check out this Venn diagram I created covering the basics.

Are Hyperfixations on the Rise?

Yes, but not as drastically as you might think. More people are getting diagnosed with autism and ADHD than years prior because we have a greater understanding of both conditions, and the voices of the neurodivergent community are being heard.

However, the numbers are not as high as they might seem—the term is simply being used more, driven by social media trends. The increased use of the term is primarily due to people using it casually rather than clinically. While the discussion of hyperfixations is increasing, this does not necessarily reflect a rise in the actual clinical behavior.

What is Actually Happening?

The clinical term is being misused. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, “hyperfixation” is often used to describe any deep interest or hobby. This dilutes the clinical meaning, which describes an intense preoccupation that can negatively impact daily life by causing neglect of basic needs and responsibilities. Social media often simplifies complex concepts into bite-sized posts purely for engagement. This creates the impression that hyperfixation is a new or more common trend.

But neurodivergence is not a trend.

The term is most often associated with neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The increased online visibility has helped people with these conditions find a community and language to describe their experiences. However, this is a greater awareness of an existing phenomenon, not a rise in the behavior itself.

While social media has increased awareness and provided a sense of community for neurodivergent individuals, the trivialization of the term carries risks. It can lead to harmful self-diagnosis and downplay the severity of genuine struggles with conditions like ADHD, autism, and OCD, for which hyperfixation can be a significant symptom.

Note: Self-diagnosis is not necessarily harmful. It only becomes a problem when the motivation to get diagnosed is not based on better understanding oneself, but rather the desire to fit in with a specific community, follow a trend, or excuse disruptive behavior.

A Hobby vs. Hyperfixation

What separates a hyperfixation / special interest from a neurotypical fixation? Besides the graph I discussed earlier, I think an important distinction is how much space a fixation takes up in your brain. Here is a helpful list of questions that will help you distinguish whether your fixation is akin to neurodivergent fixations:

• Is it all you think about?

• Does everything else suddenly seem boring?

• Is it all you want to talk about, think about, or do?

• Does your interest in it last longer than your friend’s interest in it?

• Do other people find the intensity of your interest weird?

	Hobby or Interest	Clinical Hyperfixation
Duration	A sustained, long-term passion.	Can last for days or months, then disappear just as quickly.
Intensity	An engaging and enjoyable activity that coexists with other life responsibilities.	Can be all-consuming, causing a person to lose track of time and neglect basic needs like eating or sleeping.
Emotional Impact	Primarily a source of enjoyment and fulfillment.	Often linked to dopamine and reward-seeking behavior, especially in those with ADHD.
Consequences	Enriches life and often has a positive impact.	Can disrupt daily life, social relationships, work, and school.

Technology Creates Hyperfixations

There is a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips at all times. Gen Z is the first generation who was practically raised with a phone in their hands. Before mobile phones, people did not have the internet available at all times in their pocket. Autistic people could experience their special interest and think about their special interest. That’s about it.

Now, there’s fanfiction, articles, videos, posts, comments, subreddits, Discord servers, etc. Technology has drastically changed people, and it has increased people’s tendency to hyperfixate by providing an infinite amount of personalized, engaging, and endlessly accessible content. The same psychological principles that drive compulsive scrolling encourage an intense, prolonged, and sometimes unhealthy focus on specific topics, people, or activities. Let’s explore four ways technology creates hyperfixations…

#1: Algorithms Create Addiction

As most people know by now, social media platforms use AI algorithms to feed users an endless, highly personalized stream of content based on their engagement history. Each "like," share, or notification delivers a small hit of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that creates a reward loop and makes it difficult to disengage. The way these algorithms manipulate our brains’ dopamine systems can imitate ADHD symptoms (like hyperfixation), as the ADHD brain has trouble regulating dopamine production. Algorithms also prioritize content that aligns with a user's existing interests and beliefs, creating echo chambers where a hyperfixation is constantly reinforced, potentially amplifying extreme views and limiting exposure to different perspectives.

Social media companies are aware that their algorithms can be addictive, especially for younger users whose brains are still developing, and they use that to their advantage. Internal documents from Meta (Facebook & Instagram), for example, reveal that platforms are designed to exploit adolescents' emotional reliance and to maximize screen time for profit.

#2: Accessible, Endless Information

The vast amount of information available on the internet makes it easy to fall into "rabbit holes" of research, where hours pass unnoticed while exploring a single topic. While sometimes productive, this can also lead to the neglect of daily responsibilities like work, sleep, and hygiene—much like hyperfixations.

At the same time, our devices are designed to interrupt our attention. Constant alerts from social media, emails, and apps train our brains to expect these distractions. This fragmented attention makes it more challenging to maintain sustained focus on non-digital tasks, making high-stimulation digital content even more appealing.

#3: Parasocial Relationships

Social media, live streaming, and video platforms allow for the formation of parasocial relationships—one-sided emotional bonds with public figures like influencers and celebrities. While there’s nothing wrong with admiring people on a screen, some people develop intense and sometimes unhealthy attachments to online personalities. This can be a form of escapism that can lead to social isolation and hyperfixation on a person’s image rather than real-world relationships.

#4: Consequences of Tech-Driven Hyperfixations

Intense absorption in a digital activity can lead to neglecting other obligations. For a student, this might mean procrastinating on homework to play a video game. For an adult, it could mean ignoring chores to binge-watch a series. When a hyperfixation takes over, it can also cause emotional turbulence. After the initial pleasure wears off, people may experience guilt, shame, and increased anxiety about the time they've lost.

The normalization of parasocial relationships and the constant appeal of online content can reduce the time and energy spent on real-world connections. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and make it harder to tolerate the complex emotions involved in face-to-face communication.

3 Categories of People Who Share This Trait

With the rise of hyperfixations, I have come to the conclusion that there are three categories of people who share this neurodivergent trait.

#1: Neurodivergent People

You’re autistic, ADHD, or OCD. This is the most obvious category as most neurodivergent people relate with having special interests and/or hyperfixations.

Something I’ve noticed about a lot of neurodivergent people is that when they aren’t fixated on something, they experience “depressive episodes.” I’m not talking about depression itself; I’m referring to periods of situational depression, or short-term bouts of depression that are caused by a stressful event or, in this case, a lack of a special interest or hyperfixation. I certainly relate to that.

The point is: I think an important distinction between neurodivergent people and neurotypical people who hyperfixate is that a lack of hyperfixation causes depressive episodes. If you hyperfixate on your interests and they even become a part of your identity, but your brain isn’t literally fueled by having a hyperfixation, then you probably aren’t neurodivergent.

#2: Neurotypicals Who Emulate Hyperfixation

You seemingly fixate on your interests, but you don’t have depressive episodes between. This pattern may reflect a neurotypical response influenced by social media, which often encourages continuous engagement with hobbies or interests. There is always more content to consume and with each dopamine hit you get, your interest consumes you more. The abundance of material to consume can naturally lead to more frequent and intense involvement. So, long story short, you obsess over the interest endlessly because there is an endless supply in the first place—and this is part of social media’s design.

#3: Neurotypicals with a Neurodivergent Streak

If you hyperfocus on your interests and have depressive episodes when you’re not fixated, but you are not autistic or ADHD, you’ve likely got a “neurodivergent streak”. This isn’t an official term—I created it myself.

Hyperfixations or special interests don’t make someone autistic or ADHD. Neither diagnosis requires you to have special interests or hyperfixations. Having special interests is one of four points under Criteria B for ASD, and it’s not required. Hyperfixations isn’t even mentioned in the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD—it’s just a really common experience for ADHDers.

Every person on this planet is unique, and since you don’t have to hyperfixate to be autistic or ADHD, it would stand to reason that you’re not necessarily neurodivergent just because you hyperfixate.

However, since it is a neurodivergent streak, you might want to consider looking into different neurotypes to see if you are neurodivergent. If this is one of the only traits you relate with though, it could just be a part of how your brain is wired. Not even the textbooks know everything. Science at its core is about discovery, so maybe we haven’t found your specific neurotype yet. Who knows?

What Are Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts on the rise of hyperfixations? If you hyperfixate, which of the three categories do you fall into?

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