Is Taylor Swift singing about 'eldest daughter syndrome?' Women claim pop ... trends now
Many of Taylor Swifts lyrics are being touted as 'oldest daughter anthems' because the tunes speak to the intense pressures women have faced as being the firstborn.
While not a real diagnosable condition, the 'eldest daughter syndrome' has become a major theme on social media after a therapist shared symptoms of the 'disorder' that includes being a people pleaser and struggling with anxiety.
Licensed family and marriage therapist Kati Morton described the syndrome as being the pressures and responsibilities placed on the firstborn daughter of a family.
Many TikTok users believe the 'symptoms' can be heard in Swift's songs like 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart' in the album The Tortured Poets Department and Midnight's 'You're Losing Me.'
While the pop star has never confirmed she suffers with the 'disorder,' she is the oldest sibling - her brother Austin is two years younger.
Many of Taylor Swifts songs are being touted as 'oldest daughter anthems' because the tunes speak to the intense pressures women have faced as being the first born
In 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,' Taylor sings: 'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*t. They said, 'Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it' and I did'
In 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,' Taylor sings: 'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*t. They said, 'Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it' and I did.'
And lyrics of 'You're Losing Me' include: 'I gave you all my best me's, my endless empathy. And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier.'
Firstborn daughters might experience 'being responsible for more domestic labor and being held to a higher standard than their siblings,' Morton told Health.
The symptoms highlighted by Morton included: feeling an intense sense of responsibility for others, having an inclination toward overachieving, struggles with anxiety, people-pleasing, and placing boundaries, feelings of guilt, having a difficult time with adult relationships and having feelings of resentment toward your siblings and parents.
Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University, has also joined the conversation, noting that when she hears 'eldest daughter syndrome,' she thinks about 'families where we have just been unintentionally putting burdens on particular individuals.'
'This happens across the world, but we
