Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A young man took to Reddit to express his frustration at his family for not giving him enough attention growing up, and internet users have taken his side.In the viral post, shared in February under the username Substantial-Army-715, he explains that being born in between two sets of almost identical twins, he was always overlooked, and none of his major milestones were ever a big deal for themHe says in the post: “My parents struggled to have kids and went on fertility treatments to have my siblings and the result was two sets of nonidentical boy/girl twins who LOOK identical pretty much. Our family has always been so obsessed with the fact there were two sets of twins born to the same parents in our family.”Birthdays, Christmas, school plays, sports games, report cards, graduations and everything was a huge deal and celebrated as this great thing. My siblings had so many parties thrown for them and so many reasons given to get them gifts that it was insane.”My birthdays were never a big deal and I didn’t get the same attention for Christmas, report cards, sports games or school plays. For my siblings, the whole family would try to show up and support and I was lucky to have one parent at any of my stuff. My report cards were never celebrated either.The breaking point for him was at his graduation, when nobody in his family made time to go, even though all of his siblings’ graduations had been a big deal.”I told them I’d still like everyone there and they said I didn’t need anyone there. I asked why my siblings had and they said it was such a big deal for twins and when they’re one of two sets born to the same parents and could pass for identical. They said that’s something to celebrate.”I told my family it’s not my fault I wasn’t a twin and I didn’t get why I was being overlooked. My grandpa said at 17 I don’t need to be jealous of [the] attention other kids get and as a boy, I shouldn’t get caught up in that kind of stuff. I said even teenage guys want to feel like they matter.”
After his rant to his grandpa, his entire family turned against him, accusing him of gaslighting and manipulating them, and demanding an apology for what he said.”They wanted me to apologize to everyone for telling them it’s not my fault I’m not a twin because nobody ever said it was. AITA [Am I The A******]?”Florence Ann Romano, personal growth strategist, and author of Build Your Village: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Every Stage of Life, told Newsweek that parents don’t always love their children the same way.She said: “In the movie Two Weeks with Sally Field, she says to her children: ‘I love you all equally, but it’s impossible to love you all the same.’ That has always been a quote that has settled into my brain. I asked my mom if she agreed with that quote and she that she did; that it spoke to her.”While we know this [is] a quippy statement, there’s some truth in every joke. And that got me thinking: there’s something to that. Maybe favoritism is directly correlated to the positive or negative energy that the child demands of the parent.”She explained that if a child constantly needs attention because of behavioral issues, that negativity can affect the parent’s feelings toward them, and while it doesn’t mean the parents stop loving them, these challenges can certainly breed feelings of stress, anxiety, and even resentment.”The young man in the [post] is clearly feeling neglected, and it seems like that has been the case for many years. Just the sheer fact that he decided to post his story shows me that he’s looking for validation, attention, and support that he feels he isn’t getting at home.”Everyone deserves love, attention, and support from their families. We are not entitled to it; we deserve it and hope to cultivate that in our families—whether that’s the family we’re born into or choose for ourselves.”According to Romano, the young man is going to have to build a community and chosen family for himself that is able to support him in the way he needs.”If his feelings are falling on deaf ears at home, I hope he can find relationships that fill the void he’s looking to repair.”While the poster’s family clearly favored the twins over the young man, they are not the only family with favorites. According to a study by the Institute for Family Studies, 40 percent of Americans who grew up with siblings believe their parents had a favorite child.
A stock image shows a young boy looking upset as an elderly man talks to him in the background.
A stock image shows a young boy looking upset as an elderly man talks to him in the background.
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The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 14,000 upvotes and 969 comments on the platform.One user, Thehobbitgirl88, commented: “NTA [Not The A******]. I am so sorry your family sucks so much. It’s not gaslighting people to say ‘I matter too.’ I hope you have, or find, amazing friends to be a found family cause you deserve live, attention and support.”NoIntroduction1035 said: “NTA [Not The A******] I’m sorry. The only thing I can say is get so successful then never speak to them again. Change your will to make sure your money never goes to them just be better than they ever will.”ComprehensivePut5569 added: “NTA [Not The A******]—Let your family wonder why they never see or hear from you once you go NC [no contact] with them. I’m sorry you come from a family of a*******.”Newsweek reached out to @Substantial-Army-715 for comment via Reddit messages. We could not verify the details of the case.Do you have funny videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some extra details and they could appear on our website.
