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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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Much has been said about "only children," with them often branded spoilt, possessing an inability to share, or, on the contrary, lacking in any deficiencies due to growing up with their parents' undivided attention, which, of course, is not the case for all only children, and now psychological experts are pushing back on these surface-level stereotypes.
They spoke with Newsweek about the impact growing up without siblings actually has.
The number of only children in the U.S. has, according to Pew Research Center data, grown, with around 20 percent of households with children now raising a single child. The rise can be attributed to a complex mix of individual circumstances; from higher living costs to fertility difficulties and later pregnancies, to parents simply feeling less social pressure to have more than one child if that is not their choice.
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Yet despite the growing numbers, only children remain something of an object of fascination for those with siblings, and the old clichés around "only child syndrome" persist.
There Is No Single ‘Only Child’ Personality
Dr. Allen Masry, board-certified adult psychiatrist and medical director of All in Solutions, told Newsweek one of the biggest prevailing misconceptions is that only children share a single personality type and can be treated as a monolith.
"The research does not suggest that children who are only children are inherently lonely, spoiled, or socially deficient," he said, adding that outcomes depend far more on parenting style, family relationships, temperament and overall experiences than on the presence of siblings.
Psychologist Rachel Loftin agreed, telling Newsweek that "research has consistently found that only children are generally as psychologically healthy, socially competent, and well-adjusted as people who grow up with siblings," and that any real differences are usually smaller than stereotypes suggest.
The Adult-World Effect
However, where only children may differ is in how they socialize.
Masry said only children "tend to interact more with adults," which can make them comfortable conversing with grown-ups early and using broader vocabulary sooner. Loftin echoed this, noting that such experiences "may sometimes be mistaken for 'growing up faster,' but they do not necessarily reflect accelerated emotional development."
Dr. Liz Nissim, a clinical and school psychologist, said only children raised in calmer households might find "loud group dynamics or sibling-like conflict among peers" overstimulating and may gravitate toward close friendships, older friends, or adults—a preference, she stressed, rather than a social deficit.
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It is an experience that was shared in a viral TikTok video by only child, @pumpkintoadlet68, who said some parents to only children have a "child-free energy to them," which can lead to some only children "third-wheeling" adults in a world full of "wine and cheese nights" and mature social events—something that the creator said can lead to greater comfort conversing with adults and feelings of overwhelm around rowdier children.
The creator's video sparked over 10,000 comments, several of which were of only children agreeing with the sentiment shared.
Newsweek reached out to the creator for comment via TikTok.
What the Research Actually Shows
Clinical psychologist and family court expert Dr. Tracy King pointed to a 2025 study published in Nature Human Behaviour which found no evidence of psychological deficits from growing up without siblings and even identified some positives around cognitive ability and mental health resilience.
King said most differences that do exist actually trace back to individual parental care, family support, home environment and socioeconomic circumstances, rather than birth order itself.
Family Dynamics Matter More Than Sibling Count
Several experts stressed that the family environment, not the absence of siblings, is what actually shapes the outcome.
King said "a securely attached and socially connected only child with responsive parents may have a very different experience from an only child who is isolated, overprotected, emotionally parentified or carrying all of the family's expectations."
Nissim made a similar point about independence; only children often develop it because there's no sibling to lean on, but whether that becomes healthy autonomy or overindulgence "really depends on the parents," some of whom "baby" an only child.
Loftin also cautioned against conflating temperament or neurodevelopmental traits with the effects of being an only child.
"ADHD or autism can certainly influence how a child experiences peer relationships, sensory input, or adult versus child interactions, but those are characteristics of the neurodevelopmental condition, not of being an only child," she said.
When Attention Becomes a Double-Edged Sword
But Nissim noted that while having more parental attention on average can build self-confidence, it can equally create an expectation "needs will be prioritized and met quickly," which may cause friction in adult relationships where that is not the norm.
Dr. Linda Dolin, medical director of the Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center, added that socioeconomic circumstances often outweigh birth order entirely. An only child whose parent works multiple jobs, travels frequently or just has limited emotional capacity, she told Newsweek, may spend "even less time with their parents than kids in much larger families," and may be drawn into adult concerns earlier, "which can lead to faster maturity but also greater levels of anxiety and difficulty setting boundaries in relationships."
It is clear to the experts that being an only child is not a personality type or a diagnosis, but simply a variable that interacts with parenting, temperament and circumstance.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Emma Lee-Sang
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