TikTok has had it with people who are 'chronically late.' Is 'time blindness' real?
In recent weeks, people have shared viral videos on the app speaking out against those who make constantly running late a defining personality trait. And no, they aren't buying "time blindness" as an excuse − but should they?
"You being chronically late and wasting people's time and having poor time management skills isn't a quirky personality trait," one TikToker says in a video with 6 million views. Adds another user in a different video of people who treat being late like a personality quirk: "I love that about you, and it's not at all extremely annoying."
The comments are full of people piling on − as well as some issuing profuse apologies for being part of the problem.
"As someone that's chronically late, I agree & im so sorry," one commenter wrote. "As someone who is chronically late, I fully accept the consequences or my tardiness. Don't wait for me… leave. I'll figure it out," wrote another.
But if someone frequently struggles with lateness, is it possible something deeper is going on? Well, yes. Mental health experts previously told USA TODAY that "time blindness" is indeed a legitimate experience, especially for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
"Time blindness is a difficulty with a perception of time, how much time is passed, how much time it's going to take to do something, and it can be quite impairing to people," Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist and author specializing in ADHD, anxiety and narcissistic abuse, previously told USA TODAY. "It is a real thing that's been researched."
What causes time blindness?
People with time blindness struggle to keep track of and estimate time. It's harder for them to gauge how long it will take to complete tasks or how long it will take to arrive somewhere.
Though it's most commonly observed in people with ADHD, Sarkis said, time blindness can manifest in anyone with impairment in executive functions stemming from the frontal lobe area of their brain, which is responsible for personality, judgment, self-control and more.
More: A TikToker went viral for blaming being late to work on 'time blindness.' Is it a real thing?
The frontal lobe is "like a floodgate for the brain," Sarkis said, adding that time blindness can also be present in people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. "It's not exclusive to ADHD, but it does impact ADHD quite a bit."
Ari Tuckman, a psychologist specializing in ADHD as well as couples and sex therapy, previously told USA TODAY that people can also experience temporary bouts of time blindness if they are grieving, drunk, stressed or sleep-deprived.
People also experience time blindness to varying severity, he added.
"We all have some sense of time," Tuckman said. "This ability to see and be aware of time, it's a human ability that's on a spectrum. Some people are really good; some people are not as good."
How can people cope with time blindness?
Sarkis and Tuckman offer these tips for those who may be struggling with time blindness:
For those who don't struggle with time blindness, Sarkis said, getting frustrated and exasperated with someone who does won't solve the problem.
"We all have different strengths and weaknesses," she said. "Not only do we positively reinforce people's strengths, but we also need to be kind and understanding about people's weaknesses, and getting upset with someone isn't going to improve that weakness."
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