The other day, my friend’s 16-year-old daughter messaged her to ask: ‘Mum, do I ever seem narcissistic? I just did a TikTok quiz.’ As her teen had already asked if she might need therapy for ADHD or Borderline Personality Disorder, this time my friend smiled wryly before replying: ‘No, but these questions are certainly giving me anxiety.’
While it’s true her daughter can be as self-centred as any teenager, she certainly doesn’t have a personality disorder - and at this stage of her identity development, she’s far too young for even the most experienced professional to make a diagnosis. What we DO all have are smartphones, constantly serving us a carousel of social media posts offering mental health conditions like menu choices.
