Is being an only child a problem?

Stereotypes about spoiled, selfish only children are hard to sustain, but there is now a lot of research that contradicts them.

• Quite recently, behavioral scientists have shown that, contrary to popular belief, only children often do better in school than others.
• As adults, they are as socially active as those with siblings.
• Being the only child in the family is a double-edged sword: by receiving a lot of attention from parents, the only child also focuses on all their hopes, which can eventually generate some pressure.