Why does autism seem to be more common and relevant on social media more than it is in real life?

[Anonymous]

On social media you often see a video someone making a post about supposedly being autistic for whatever reasons they come up with but it’s not often that you hear someone with autism in real life go “Hey. I’m autistic.” Or “I’m overstimulated. My autism is showing.” Etc. It seems like it’s common and it’s real but not as common and real as social media has made it out to be just because they found out a few facts about it.

[Account]

People don't go around with the phrase "I am autistic" written on their foreheads nor do they hold a sign that says it, especially due to the stigma around it. On social media people decide to speak about it and create content, especially if the purpose of their social media is creating content and monetizing it.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Sounds like that’s just your algorithm babe


Also, autism is way more common than people think. The autism spectrum is wide and varied. On one end you have someone who is nonverbal, only eats like 3 things, and regularly bangs their head on walls. On the other hand, you have someone who doesn’t like meat because they dislike the taste. Both are autistic.

[jahaims]

Allistics pretend to have it for attention. Neurodivergents feel more comfortable online.