Anxious, overachiever, full of guilt: Do you have #EldestDaughterSyndrome?

If you spend any time scrolling social media, you would have come across the term Eldest Daughter Syndrome. They have been described as overachievers with great organisational skills, the family’s unpaid therapist and the third parent. From jokes and memes about them being the family’s manager and the unofficial co-parent for younger siblings to many posts applauding their sense of responsibility, eldest daughters have been a topic of discussion on social media lately.However, #eldestdaughtersyndrome isn’t just about celebrating the first-born daughter but also about the responsibilities she unassumingly bears and the immense pressure that comes with it.
Is it real?
While eldest daughter syndrome may not be a real psychological condition, it seems to be more than just a social media trend as many are sharing videos about how much they relate to it. Some studies indicate that there maybe some truth to this pop psychology term. A University of California-led research team found that, in certain instances, first-born daughters tend to mature earlier, enabling them to help their mother rear younger siblings. There is also a study from 2014 that found that eldest daughters are the most likely to succeed out of any sibling type, while a 2012 study found that those who are eldest-born are more likely to hold leadership roles.
The Eldest Daughter Syndrome checklist
In a widely circulated social media (TikTok) video about the eldest daughter syndrome a licensed marriage and family therapist from the US, Kati Morton, explains eldest daughter syndrome – “A term coined to describe the unique pressures and responsibilities placed onto the oldest daughter in the family.” She shares the eight signs that you could have eldest daughter syndrome.