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You're juggling ageing parents, career pressures, and raising children, with a brain that feels exhausted. And now you're supposed to "use social media strategically" too?

Here's what happened this morning that changes everything.

Australia Just Made the Same Mistake Twice. They're solving the wrong problem

Today, Australia became the first country to ban social media for anyone under 16.

Politicians are celebrating. Parents are debating. Tech companies are scrambling.

And nobody's talking about the real problem.

Because here's the truth: you can't ban your way to competence. You can only educate your way there.

Think of social media as a wild horse. Powerful, unpredictable, capable of taking you incredible places or throwing you off a cliff.

Australia's solution? Don't let anyone ride until they're 16. Then at 16 years and one day, they're suddenly allowed on the horse—with zero training, zero understanding of how it works, zero awareness of how it's trying to manipulate them.

Sound familiar?

We've Seen This Movie Before

For decades, society did the same thing with ADHD.

Your brain was "the problem." The solution was medication, restrictions, accommodations—anything to make you less of what you were.

Nobody taught you that hyperfocus was a superpower when directed intentionally. Nobody explained that your pattern recognition could spot opportunities others missed. Nobody told you that creativity and lateral thinking were business advantages, not classroom problems.

You got diagnosed late because society chose restriction over education.

They tried to ban the wild horse instead of teaching you to ride it.

REAL TALK: I spent 35 years in construction, dealing with dangerous equipment. I had two choices: ban people from using something or teach them how to use it safely. Bans were always easier. Teaching was always better. Because you can't ban your way to competence.

Now You're Learning What You Should Have Known at 12

Your ADHD brain isn't defective. It's different.

When you understand how it works—the dopamine seeking, the hyperfocus triggers, the rejection sensitivity—you stop being controlled by it and start directing it.

You've learning to ride that horse.

Now let's talk about: Why Your ADHD Brain Is the Perfect Target

Social media is doing to everyone what ADHD does naturally to us: hijacking attention, creating dopamine loops, and making focus optional.

The difference? Social media is designed to do this. Billions of dollars and thousands of engineers working to keep you scrolling, clicking, comparing, and consuming.

And if you have ADHD? You're not just vulnerable—you're the perfect target.

Your dopamine-seeking brain meets an infinite dopamine slot machine. Your hyperfocus meets an algorithm designed to capture and hold attention. Your rejection sensitivity meets a platform built on social comparison and validation metrics.

This isn't a fair fight.

Unless you understand both systems.

When You Understand Both, Everything Changes

You recognise the dopamine hit of notifications for what it is—and you decide when to engage instead of reflexively responding.

You see the algorithm trying to keep you scrolling—and you use it to distribute your message instead of consuming everyone else's.

You understand the comparison trap—and you curate your feed to inspire instead of deplete you.

You harness your hyperfocus on creation instead of letting it drain into consumption.

This Is Where Your ADHD Becomes an Advantage

Once you understand how social media works, your ADHD brain can actually work with you instead of against you.

Your pattern recognition helps you quickly filter what's useful from what's noise.

Your ability to see connections means you can learn from multiple sources and apply them to your real life faster.

Your hyperfocus—when you direct it—lets you research a solution, make a decision, and move on in 20 minutes instead of falling down a two-hour rabbit hole.

Your natural curiosity means you're not afraid to try new approaches when the old ones aren't working.

But only if you're the rider, not the horse.

⚡ QUICK WIN:

Right now, open your most-used social app. Before you scroll, ask yourself: "Am I here to create or consume?" Set a 5-minute timer. When it goes off, get out. Do this for three days and notice what changes.

Education and Awareness Are the Reins

Australia's ban tries to solve the wrong problem. The issue isn't the age people start using social media. It's that nobody—at any age—is taught how it works and how to use it intentionally.

Just like ADHD.

You spent decades not understanding your brain. Feeling controlled by it. Wondering why everyone else seemed to have an instruction manual you never got.

Now you're learning. And everything's changing.

Don't make the same mistake with social media.

You've learned to ride one wild horse—your ADHD brain.

Time to learn to ride another.

Next week: I'll show you the three social media patterns that specifically target ADHD brains (and how to break each one).

Until then—stay focused on what matters.

Jim

P.S. – Next Week  GET THE SUCCESS STORIES EBOOK → See how 40+ people with ADHD turned their "disadvantage" into their biggest asset

Today’s Thought: Being kind to yourself allows you to be kind to others.

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