by Charlie Kaneer, Opinion Section Editor
The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
To start off, it’s easiest to lay out what a “hyperfixation” is. School Psychologist Brittany Fatzinger describes it as “maintaining focus on one particular or specific topic.” The term is exclusive to neurodivergent people, which in layman’s terms means anyone whose brain function is atypical under a specific set of criteria- typically to do with learning and social processing. People under this umbrella include those with ADHD and on the autistic spectrum. Hyperfixations are often seen as “obsessions'' or “extreme interests'' to others unfamiliar with their true purpose. They are a common coping mechanism for many neurodivergent people, and a unique experience to each.
To Emma Hampton (10) a hyperfixation to her is “an interest/show/movie/etc that someone focuses on intensely. A lot of times it's to escape from something in real life.” She explains that she views her hyperfixations as a coping mechanism- escapism. She uses her experience to self-soothe in times of stress.
My personal experience with hyperfixations was for years was the video game Skyrim. I- to this day- can talk about that game for 5 hours straight and still not run out of facts or get bored of the topic. I would sit and play it for copious hours, all of my free time and school breaks devoted to playing and replaying the game. It was all I thought about and all I talked about. It truly consumed my every waking hour. Now, here is where the situation becomes complicated. Knowing so much about the game, I was obviously very good at it. It brought me a lot of joy during a rough time of my life and helped me befriend people who also played the game.
However there were also cons. I would lose sleep and be unable to focus on schoolwork because my brain was completely enthralled by this game and only it. It became a problem where I would struggle to pay attention and fail to get out of the house more in order to focus on the game.
Jackie Jones (11) shares her hyperfixation, stating “My biggest one ever was Pretty Little Liars. I would say that lasted 7th-9th grade and I just knew absolutely everything about it.” She mentioned that she would obsessively talk about it. It is crucial to infodump (share the information in a vent-style fashion of getting it all out) for neurodivergent people. We are not trying to be seen as rude if we overtake a conversation with our interest, we are simply showing we are comfortable with you by telling you about what we truly love most. We ask you to be patient and to try not to shut us down, because that is extremely hurtful.
A con of hyperfixations is the occasional rejection felt when our hyperfixation is disliked by others. We cannot help what we hyperfixate on either, which can lead to neurodivergent people fixating on subjects others may find uncomfortable- such as politics. Learning the terminology can help you explain to your friend if you are uncomfortable with their hyperfixation to let them down in an easy, friendly manner that won’t leave them feeling rejected!
Overall, hyperfixations are a good thing to experience. They help neurodivergent people find communities of people who feel the way they do about their fixation. Sometimes, people fixate on their career and excel in their field. Other times, it allows them to escape from a situation they’re in and feel better. If you have a friend who experiences hyperfixations, try to ask questions about their interest! They will appreciate someone allowing them to infodump in a safe space. If ever needed, you may reach out to me as well if you ever need someone to talk to.
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